Status of cryospheric observations in South America Gino CasassaGeoestudios &University of MagallanesChile
GLOBAL CYOSPHERE WATCHGCW
• “White” Glaciers: National Agencies, GTNH, Research Institutions
<GLOFs - jokulhlaups, glacier slides, ice avalanches>• Rock Glaciers: Mining companies, Research
Institutions, National Agencies (starting)• Permafrost: Mining companies, Research
Institutions (Darío Trombotto, IANIGLA, Mendoza)• Snow Hydrology: National Agencies, Research
Institutions, Water & Hydroelectric Companies• Snow Avalanches: National Agencies, Research
Institutions, Mining companies• Lake & River Ice: No active research/monitoring
Latin American Cryosphere
RECENT INCREASE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS RELATED TO GLACIERS
2006. CHILE FREEZES GLACIER LAW.
2009. CHILE approves “Glacier Policy”, with a glacier definition that has no lower limit on size, and which accepts a glacier as an ice mass having no flow.
• Even small snowfields can now be considered as glaciers.
2010. CHILE modifies Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law, now includes glaciers.
2012. ARGENTINA approves Glacier Law, includes as well “periglacial environment with hydrological significance”.
2013. CHILE. Changes to EIA. Glacier drilling now needed.
A) “WHITE” GLACIERS
“Clean Glacier”: all surface debris free.
“Covered Glacier”: partly covered by debris.
Glaciar Olivares Gama, sub-subcuenca Olivares.
Glaciar San Francisco, subcuenca Alto Maipo.
Glaciar del Paine Grande, MagallanesGlaciar Olivares Alfa
Geoestudios, 2013
Glaciar Pedregoso, cuenca Río Aconcagua
Flujo
ROCK GLACIER
Zanja de exploración en glaciar Monolito, que fluye de derecha a izquierda. Bandas oscuras en el hielo son planos de cizalle en la Zona de Ablación (zona de compresión). Cubierta de detritos: Espesor 0,3 a 3,3 m de gravas angulosas. Conductividad térmica 0,20 a 0,26 (media 0,217) W/mK Núcleo de hielo: Espesor >40 m. 78% a 82% promedio de hielo, resto detritos rocosos, principalmente en bandas.Morrena basal: 50% hielo, 50% detritos rocosos. Espesor, algunos metros.
Geoestudios, 2013
GLACIERS IN SOUTH AMERICA: ~28,000 km2 (~10% of all mountain glaciers)*excluding glaciers in Antarctic Peninsula & Greenland
PATAGONIAN ICEFIELDS: NPI ~4,000 km2; SPI ~12,500 km2. TOTAL ~16,500 km2, ~60% in area of all South American glaciers area
Global Glacier Changes: facts and figures, UNEP-WGMS, 2009
GLACIERS in SOUTH AMERICAArea
(km2) Venezuela Sierra Nevada de Mérida 0.1Colombia 3 Cordilleras 48Ecuador Cordillera Occidental and Oriental 39.61Peru 20 Cordilleras 2,596Bolivia 7 Cordilleras 566Chile Northern Patagonia Icefield (NPI) 3,953Chile/Argentina Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI) 12,500Chile North, central, southern Chile,
Patagonia other than NPI & SPI, Tierra del Fuego
7,365
Argentina North, central, southern Argentina, Patagonia (other than SPI)
2,000
Argentina Tierra del Fuego 19.6TOTAL PREVIOUSLY 29,347 km2 29,087
Country Region (s)
Casassa, VICC 2010
Country GLACIERS ICE CAPS VOLUME VOLUMEkm2 km2 km3 km3
Venezuela 0.1 0
Colombia 48.0 5
Ecuador 39.6 4
Peru 2,596.0 1,190
Bolivia 566.0 148
Chile 3,953.0 NPI 784
Chile/Argentina 12,500.0 SPI 3,304
Chile 4,076.0 3,289.0 CDI, ISI, IH 623
Argentina 2,000.0 832
Argentina 19.6 1
TOTAL 9,345.3 19,742.0 29,087.3 2,180 4,711 6,891 km3
17 mm slr
Bahr et al. (1997): V = 0,025*A^γ where A: Area V: volume γ = 1.37 for valley glaciers γ = 1.25 for ice caps
Casassa, VICC 2010
• México: only 2 mountains are glacier-covered, with a reduction of more than 20% in the last 50 years
• Venezuela: 87% glacier loss during the last 50 years
• Colombia: 2-5% annual retreat during the last 10 years
• Ecuador: glacier reduction of 27% in 1997-2006• Peru, Cordillera Blanca: in 1970-2008 glacier
reduction >26%• Chile & Argentina, northern sector: starting in 1980
glaciers (monitored since 1970) have incremented their retreat; glaciers in central and southern Chile and Argentina are losing ice, many times in an accelerated rate, with only a few cases of stable & advancing glaciers
10th Meeting Latin American Snow and Ice Working Group UNESCO IHP14-18 November 2011, , Mérida, Venezuela
2012: NOVEMBER MEETING OF GTNH in CUZCO, Peru2013: QUITO, Ecuador
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