Anthropogenic influence on surface changes at the Olivares glaciers; Central Chile

• Published in: Science of The Total Environment
• Main Authors: Barandun, Martina, Bravo, Claudio, Grobety, Bernard, Jenk, Theo, Fang, Ling, Naegeli, Kathrin, Rivera Ibáñez, Sergio Andrés, Cisternas, Sebastián, Münster, Tatjana, Schwikowski, Margit
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2022
• Subjects: Light-absorbing impurities; Glacier albedo across scales; Glacier mass balance sensitivity; Mining activities; Olivares; ice core
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155068; https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/195875

We have investigated the source and role of light-absorbing impurities (LAIs) deposited on the glaciers of the Olivares catchment, in Central Chile. LAIs can considerably darken (lowered albedo) the glacier surface, enhancing their melt. We combined chemical and mineralogical laboratory analyses of...