Glacier shrinkage and negative mass balance in the Chilean Lake District (40°S) / Rétrécissement glaciaire et bilan massique négatif dans la Région des Lacs du Chili (40°S)

Rivera, Andrés; Bown, Francisca; Casassa, Gino; Acuña, Cásar; Clavero, Jorge

doi:10.1623/hysj.2005.50.6.963

Cited by 41 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(21 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, these measurements of the surface energy balance are not directly applicable to the mass balance of Glaciar Frías. However, Brock et al (2007) present several results of interest for this study: they measured significant melt events at the ELA during the accumulation season caused by high air temperatures, and they confirm the high accumulation and melt rates found by Rivera et al (2005) and . In a reconstruction of the ELA of glaciers along the Andes of South America from a compilation of 0 • C isotherm altitude and precipitation, Condom et al (2007) give an ELA between 1800 and 2200 m for the region of Glaciar Frías.…”

Section: Meteorological and Glacier Mass Balance Datasupporting

confidence: 74%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Modelling and climatic interpretation of the length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías (north Patagonian Andes, Argentina) 1639–2009 AD

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We explore the climatic information contained in the record of length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías, in the north Patagonian Andes of Argentina. This record is one of the longest and most detailed glacier records in southern South America, starting in 1639. In order to interpret the length variations of Glaciar Frías since the maximum Little Ice Age extent, we use a combination of a simplified surface energy-balance model to calculate the glacier mass balance, and a flowline model to account for the dynamical response of the glacier to changes in the climatic forcing. The overall retreat of the glacier observed over 1639–2009 is best explained by an annual mean temperature increase of 1.2 °C or a decrease in annual precipitation of 34%, most of which would have occurred during the 20th century. The glacier model is also forced with two independent tree-ring and multi-proxy reconstructions of precipitation and temperature. The uncertainties in these reconstructions are rather large, leading to a wide range in the modelled glacier length that includes most of the observations. However, in both reconstructions, the mid-17th century seems to be too cold and the early 19th century too warm to explain the observed glacier lengths with the glacier model forced with the reconstructions. Forcing with reconstructed precipitation and temperature separately shows that the influence of historical variations in precipitation on the glacier fluctuations of Glaciar Frías is smaller than that of the temperature fluctuations. This suggests that the observed 1639–2009 retreat could be best explained by a warming close to 1.2 °C

show abstract

Section: Meteorological and Glacier Mass Balance Datasupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Rivera et al (2005) and Due to the volcanic activity of Volcán Villarrica, the mass balance of this glacier is strongly influenced by tephra covering the surface. Therefore, these measurements of the surface energy balance are not directly applicable to the mass balance of Glaciar Frías.…”

Section: Meteorological and Glacier Mass Balance Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling and climatic interpretation of the length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías (north Patagonian Andes, Argentina) 1639–2009 AD

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Here, a very high inter-annual variability of the surface mass balance was observed (Schaefer et al, 2017). But, on average, the annual surface mass balance was negative which coincides with the observed areal losses (Rivera et al, 2005).…”

supporting

confidence: 75%

“…Here, the limited accumulation of snow is not able to make up with the ablation processes which are dominated by sublimation (MacDonell et al, 2013). In the Chilean Lake District Mocho Glacier is monitored since 2003 (Rivera et al, 2005). Here, a very high inter-annual variability of the surface mass balance was observed (Schaefer et al, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

Surface energy fluxes on Chilean glaciers: measurements and models

Schaefer¹,

Fonseca²,

Farías-Barahona³

et al. 2019

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The surface energy fluxes of glaciers determine surface melt and their adequate parameterization is one of the keys for a successful prediction of future glacier mass balance and freshwater discharge. Chile hosts glaciers in a large range of latitudes under contrasting climatic settings: from 18° S in the Atacama Desert to 55° S on Tierra del Fuego Island. We found the Patagonian glaciers to experience higher surface melt rates as compared to the glaciers of the Central Andes due to a higher contribution of the turbulent flux of sensible heat, less negative longwave radiation balance and a positive contribution of the turbulent flux of latent heat. Glaciers in the Central Andes melt at higher rates at cloud-free conditions whilst glaciers in Patagonia melt faster on cloudy days. The models underestimated the measured emissivity of the clearsky atmosphere in the Wet Andes. The different parameterizations of the turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat show similar variability but different absolute values due to different parameterizations of the transport coefficients and stability corrections. We conclude that when working towards physical melt models it is not sufficient to use the observed melt as a measure of model performance: the model parameterizations of individual components of the energy balance have to be validated individually against measurements.

show abstract

“…Ice-capped active volcanoes of Southern Chile have experienced large retreat and shrinkage in historical times (Rivera et al 2005). This process has been well documented as a primary consequence of ongoing climatic changes (Carrasco et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacier responses to recent volcanic activity in Southern Chile

Rivera

Bown

Carrión

et al. 2012

Environ. Res. Lett.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Glaciers in Southern Chile (39-43 • S) are characterized by frontal retreats and area losses in response to the ongoing climatic changes at a timescale of decades. Superimposed on these longer-term trends, volcanic activity is thought to impact glaciers in variable ways. Debris-ash covered Glaciar Pichillancahue-Turbio only retreated slightly in recent decades in spite of been located on Volcán Villarrica which has experienced increased volcanic activity since 1977. In contrast, the negative long-term Volcán Michinmahuida glacier area trend reversed shortly before the beginning of the explosive eruption of nearby Volcán Chaitén in May 2008, when Glaciar Amarillo advanced and a lahar type of mudflow was observed. This advancing process is analysed in connection to the nearby eruption, producing albedo changes at Michinmahuida glaciers, as well as a possible enhanced basal melting from higher geothermal flux. Deconvolution of glacier responses due to these processes is difficult and probably not possible with available data. Much more work and data are required to determine the causes of present glacier behaviour.

show abstract

Glacier shrinkage and negative mass balance in the Chilean Lake District (40°S) / Rétrécissement glaciaire et bilan massique négatif dans la Région des Lacs du Chili (40°S)

Cited by 41 publications

References 23 publications

Modelling and climatic interpretation of the length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías (north Patagonian Andes, Argentina) 1639–2009 AD

Modelling and climatic interpretation of the length fluctuations of Glaciar Frías (north Patagonian Andes, Argentina) 1639–2009 AD

Surface energy fluxes on Chilean glaciers: measurements and models

Glacier responses to recent volcanic activity in Southern Chile

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About