Status of cryospheric observations in South America Gino Casassa Geoestudios &

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.

Schwikowski et al., 2004

Francou et al., 2013

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

http://www.geofisica.unam.mx/popoc/colaboracion/GTNH/

• 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

Francou et al., 2013

CHILE

CHILE

SNOW ROUTESNorth of ChilePascua Lama

Carrasco et al., 2005

Gerd Dercon

Laboratory Head, Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition

Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in

Food and Agriculture (Technical Officer)

BENCHMARK SITES

STATION/HUT SUB-GREY,TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

Takk fyrir!