Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance
Journal Article Copyright © 2015 University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Water scarcity is a growing issue for high altitude arid countries like Bolivia, where serious water resource concerns exist because of climate change and population growth. In this study we u...
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Language: | English |
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University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
2015
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16945 https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-029 |
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ftunivexeter:oai:ore.exeter.ac.uk:10871/16945 2023-05-15T14:14:28+02:00 Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance Rangecroft, S Harrison, Stephan Anderson, K 2015 http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16945 https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-029 en eng University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research http://instaar.colorado.edu/aaar/journal_issues/abstract.php?id=3054 Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 89 - 98 doi:10.1657/AAAR0014-029 NE/H018875/1 http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16945 1523-0430 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 2016-02-01 Publisher's policy Article 2015 ftunivexeter https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-029 2022-11-20T21:31:03Z Journal Article Copyright © 2015 University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Water scarcity is a growing issue for high altitude arid countries like Bolivia, where serious water resource concerns exist because of climate change and population growth. In this study we use a recent Bolivian rock glacier inventory (Rangecroft et al., 2014) to estimate the water equivalent storage of these understudied cryospheric reserves. This paper shows that Bolivian rock glaciers currently store between 11.7 and 137 million cubic meters of water. Rock glacier water equivalents are compared to corresponding ice glacier water equivalent to allow an assessment of the hydrological importance of rock glaciers as water stores in this water scarce region. It can be seen that in the densely glaciated Cordillera Real (15°-16°S) rock glaciers form a small component of mountain water stores; however, along the Cordillera Occidental (17°-22°S), where ice glaciers are absent, rock glaciers are a more important part of the cryospheric water store, suggesting that they could be important for local water management. This is the first time that the water equivalence of the Bolivian rock glacier store has been quantified and is a first step toward assessing the contribution and importance of alternative high altitude water sources. NERC Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Climate change Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Exeter: Open Research Exeter (ORE) Arctic Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 47 1 89 98 |
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University of Exeter: Open Research Exeter (ORE) |
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ftunivexeter |
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English |
description |
Journal Article Copyright © 2015 University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Water scarcity is a growing issue for high altitude arid countries like Bolivia, where serious water resource concerns exist because of climate change and population growth. In this study we use a recent Bolivian rock glacier inventory (Rangecroft et al., 2014) to estimate the water equivalent storage of these understudied cryospheric reserves. This paper shows that Bolivian rock glaciers currently store between 11.7 and 137 million cubic meters of water. Rock glacier water equivalents are compared to corresponding ice glacier water equivalent to allow an assessment of the hydrological importance of rock glaciers as water stores in this water scarce region. It can be seen that in the densely glaciated Cordillera Real (15°-16°S) rock glaciers form a small component of mountain water stores; however, along the Cordillera Occidental (17°-22°S), where ice glaciers are absent, rock glaciers are a more important part of the cryospheric water store, suggesting that they could be important for local water management. This is the first time that the water equivalence of the Bolivian rock glacier store has been quantified and is a first step toward assessing the contribution and importance of alternative high altitude water sources. NERC |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rangecroft, S Harrison, Stephan Anderson, K |
spellingShingle |
Rangecroft, S Harrison, Stephan Anderson, K Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
author_facet |
Rangecroft, S Harrison, Stephan Anderson, K |
author_sort |
Rangecroft, S |
title |
Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
title_short |
Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
title_full |
Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
title_fullStr |
Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rock glaciers as water stores in the Bolivian Andes: An assessment of their hydrological importance |
title_sort |
rock glaciers as water stores in the bolivian andes: an assessment of their hydrological importance |
publisher |
University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16945 https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-029 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Climate change Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Climate change Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research |
op_relation |
http://instaar.colorado.edu/aaar/journal_issues/abstract.php?id=3054 Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 89 - 98 doi:10.1657/AAAR0014-029 NE/H018875/1 http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16945 1523-0430 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
op_rights |
2016-02-01 Publisher's policy |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0014-029 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
47 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
89 |
op_container_end_page |
98 |
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1766286910829887488 |