Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981
This paper analyzes the evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, the third largest glacier in the Pyrenees, from 1981 to the present. We assessed the evolution of the glacier's surface area by analysis of aerial photographs from 1981, 1999, and 2006, and changes in ice volume by geodetic methods...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7c3d3350062a498b9ecea2c8bb21b306 2023-05-15T18:32:30+02:00 Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 J. I. López-Moreno J. Revuelto I. Rico J. Chueca-Cía A. Julián A. Serreta E. Serrano S. M. Vicente-Serrano C. Azorin-Molina E. Alonso-González J. M. García-Ruiz 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7c3d3350062a498b9ecea2c8bb21b306 EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/681/2016/tc-10-681-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7c3d3350062a498b9ecea2c8bb21b306 The Cryosphere, Vol 10, Iss 2, Pp 681-694 (2016) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 2022-12-31T05:52:14Z This paper analyzes the evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, the third largest glacier in the Pyrenees, from 1981 to the present. We assessed the evolution of the glacier's surface area by analysis of aerial photographs from 1981, 1999, and 2006, and changes in ice volume by geodetic methods with digital elevation models (DEMs) generated from topographic maps (1981 and 1999), airborne lidar (2010) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) data. We interpreted the changes in the glacier based on climate data from nearby meteorological stations. The results indicate that the degradation of this glacier accelerated after 1999. The rate of ice surface loss was almost three times greater during 1999–2006 than during earlier periods. Moreover, the rate of glacier thinning was 1.85 times faster during 1999–2010 (rate of surface elevation change = −8.98 ± 1.80 m, glacier-wide mass balance = −0.73 ± 0.14 m w.e. yr −1 ) than during 1981–1999 (rate of surface elevation change = −8.35 ± 2.12 m, glacier-wide mass balance = −0.42 ± 0.10 m w.e. yr −1 ). From 2011 to 2014, ice thinning continued at a slower rate (rate of surface elevation change = −1.93 ± 0.4 m yr −1 , glacier-wide mass balance = −0.58 ± 0.36 m w.e. yr −1 ). This deceleration in ice thinning compared to the previous 17 years can be attributed, at least in part, to two consecutive anomalously wet winters and cool summers (2012–2013 and 2013–2014), counteracted to some degree by the intense thinning that occurred during the dry and warm 2011–2012 period. However, local climatic changes observed during the study period do not seem sufficient to explain the acceleration of ice thinning of this glacier, because precipitation and air temperature did not exhibit statistically significant trends during the study period. Rather, the accelerated degradation of this glacier in recent years can be explained by a strong disequilibrium between the glacier and the current climate, and likely by other factors affecting the energy balance (e.g., ... Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles The Cryosphere 10 2 681 694 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 J. I. López-Moreno J. Revuelto I. Rico J. Chueca-Cía A. Julián A. Serreta E. Serrano S. M. Vicente-Serrano C. Azorin-Molina E. Alonso-González J. M. García-Ruiz Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
This paper analyzes the evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, the third largest glacier in the Pyrenees, from 1981 to the present. We assessed the evolution of the glacier's surface area by analysis of aerial photographs from 1981, 1999, and 2006, and changes in ice volume by geodetic methods with digital elevation models (DEMs) generated from topographic maps (1981 and 1999), airborne lidar (2010) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) data. We interpreted the changes in the glacier based on climate data from nearby meteorological stations. The results indicate that the degradation of this glacier accelerated after 1999. The rate of ice surface loss was almost three times greater during 1999–2006 than during earlier periods. Moreover, the rate of glacier thinning was 1.85 times faster during 1999–2010 (rate of surface elevation change = −8.98 ± 1.80 m, glacier-wide mass balance = −0.73 ± 0.14 m w.e. yr −1 ) than during 1981–1999 (rate of surface elevation change = −8.35 ± 2.12 m, glacier-wide mass balance = −0.42 ± 0.10 m w.e. yr −1 ). From 2011 to 2014, ice thinning continued at a slower rate (rate of surface elevation change = −1.93 ± 0.4 m yr −1 , glacier-wide mass balance = −0.58 ± 0.36 m w.e. yr −1 ). This deceleration in ice thinning compared to the previous 17 years can be attributed, at least in part, to two consecutive anomalously wet winters and cool summers (2012–2013 and 2013–2014), counteracted to some degree by the intense thinning that occurred during the dry and warm 2011–2012 period. However, local climatic changes observed during the study period do not seem sufficient to explain the acceleration of ice thinning of this glacier, because precipitation and air temperature did not exhibit statistically significant trends during the study period. Rather, the accelerated degradation of this glacier in recent years can be explained by a strong disequilibrium between the glacier and the current climate, and likely by other factors affecting the energy balance (e.g., ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
J. I. López-Moreno J. Revuelto I. Rico J. Chueca-Cía A. Julián A. Serreta E. Serrano S. M. Vicente-Serrano C. Azorin-Molina E. Alonso-González J. M. García-Ruiz |
author_facet |
J. I. López-Moreno J. Revuelto I. Rico J. Chueca-Cía A. Julián A. Serreta E. Serrano S. M. Vicente-Serrano C. Azorin-Molina E. Alonso-González J. M. García-Ruiz |
author_sort |
J. I. López-Moreno |
title |
Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
title_short |
Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
title_full |
Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
title_fullStr |
Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981 |
title_sort |
thinning of the monte perdido glacier in the spanish pyrenees since 1981 |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7c3d3350062a498b9ecea2c8bb21b306 |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 10, Iss 2, Pp 681-694 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/681/2016/tc-10-681-2016.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 https://doaj.org/article/7c3d3350062a498b9ecea2c8bb21b306 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-681-2016 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
10 |
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2 |
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681 |
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694 |
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1766216613284020224 |