New insights into the decadal variability in glacier volume of a tropical ice cap, Antisana (0°29′ S, 78°09′ W), explained by the morpho-topographic and climatic context
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Published:2022-11-04
Issue:11
Volume:16
Page:4659-4677
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ISSN:1994-0424
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Container-title:The Cryosphere
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language:en
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Short-container-title:The Cryosphere
Author:
Basantes-Serrano Rubén,Rabatel Antoine,Francou Bernard,Vincent Christian,Soruco Alvaro,Condom Thomas,Ruíz Jean Carlo
Abstract
Abstract. We present a comprehensive study of the evolution of the glaciers
on the Antisana ice cap (tropical Andes) over the period 1956–2016. Based on
geodetic observations of aerial photographs and high-resolution satellite
images, we explore the effects of morpho-topographic and climate variables
on glacier volumes. Contrasting behaviour was observed over the whole
period, with two periods of strong mass loss, 1956–1964 (−0.72 m w.e. yr−1) and 1979–1997 (−0.82 m w.e. yr−1), and two periods with
slight mass loss, 1965–1978 (0.10 m w.e. yr−1) and 1998–2016 (−0.26 m w.e. yr−1). There was a 42 % reduction in the total surface area of
the ice cap. Individually, glacier responses were modulated by
morpho-topographic variables (e.g. maximum and median altitude and surface
area), particularly in the case of the small tongues located at low
elevations (Glacier 1, 5 and 16) which have been undergoing accelerated
disintegration since the 1990s and will likely disappear in the coming
years. Moreover, thanks to the availability of aerial data, a surging event
was detected on the Antisana Glacier 8 (G8) in the 2009–2011 period; such an event is
extremely rare in this region and deserves a dedicated study. Despite the
effect of the complex topography, glaciers have reacted in agreement with changes
in climate forcing, with a stepwise transition towards warmer and
alternating wet–dry conditions since the mid-1970s. Long-term decadal
variability is consistent with the warm–cold conditions observed in the
Pacific Ocean represented by the Southern Oscillation index.
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Subject
Earth-Surface Processes,Water Science and Technology
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