Recent evolution (1981–2005) of the Maladeta glaciers, Pyrenees, Spain: extent and volume losses and their relation with climatic and topographic factors

Abstract

Analysis of aerial photographs, GPS mapping and comparison of digital elevation models have been used to quantify the losses in extent and volume observed (1981–2005) in the glaciers of the Maladeta massif (Spanish Pyrenees). The data are examined in relation to different climatic (temperature, precipitation) and topographic factors that control glacial retreat both at the general and local scales. The evolution observed in the massif is characterized by the remarkable surface and volumetric shrinkage registered in all the glaciers: (1) glacial ice decreased in extent 35.7%, reducing from 240.9 ha to 155.0 ha; (2) losses in total ice volume reached 0.0137 km3 (75.6 m w.e.); (3) mean altitude of the studied glaciers increased 43.5 m. These changes seem to have been forced by climatic change (reduction in the snowfall contributions and increase in the maximum temperatures) during the past few decades in this Pyrenean region. In addition, local variables such as the orientation of each glacier, their altitude and their initial size seem to have induced significant spatial differences in the magnitude of the losses.

Surge glaciers during the Little Ice Age in the Pyrenees

“…Minor readvances and glacier equilibrium (5) occur during the last decades of the 19th century, with a common advance around 1890, until the twenties of the 20th century, after the LIA has finished. Later, glaciers retreat accelerated with small and intermittent advances in some glaciers, as Oulettes of Gaube with short progress in 1945 and 1964 (Grove and Gellatly, 1995;René, 2013), until the drastic retreat with sudden lost of mass, as response to strong disequilibrium with current climate conditions (Chueca et al, 2007;López-Moreno et al, 2016), interrupted only by small equilibrium periods at the end of the 70´s and 80´s (Martínez de Pisón and Arenillas, 1988;Martínez de Pisón et al, 1995;Grove and Gellatly, 1995;René, 2001René, , 2003René, , 2013, before the disappearance of the most LIA glaciers and the conservation of only 19 glaciers in 2016 (Rico et al, 2017).…”

The Medieval Climate Anomaly in the Mediterranean Region

“…Long‐term climatic warming of the past century resulted in a significant retreat of southern European glaciers, which were losing 30–100% of their volume (Chueca et al, ; Grunewald & Scheithauer, ). Today, only a few small glaciers have survived in the Mediterranean region (Hughes, ), namely, in the Pyrenees, Maritime Alps (Federici & Pappalardo, ; Federici et al, ), Italian Apennines (D'Orefice et al, ), the Dinaric and Albanian Alps (Grunewald & Scheithauer, ), and the mountains of Turkey (Çiner, ; Kurter, ; Sarıkaya, ; Yavaşlı et al, ).…”

Mapping snow depth in open alpine terrain from stereo satellite imagery

“…SMMR 1978;SSM/I 1987;AMSR-E 2002). However, the application of passive microwaves to snowpack monitoring in alpine regions is limited by the coarse resolution of spaceborne sensors, which are typically 10-25 km (Clifford, 2010), and the presence of liquid water in the snowpack. Another limitation is the SWE threshold, which impedes SWE retrieval for deep snowpacks (Dozier et al, 2016; > 0.15 m-0.20 m w.eq.).…”