Community | June 23, 2009 | 6 comments

Patagonia glaciers melting at unprecedented rates

source: http://www.santiagotimes.cl/santiagotimes/index.php/2009062216532/news/environmental-news/ch...

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JanforGore
The latest research expedition to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field revealed that alpine glaciers in the Chilean and Argentine Andes are disappearing at much faster rates than previously anticipated by the scientific community.

A preliminary analysis by a team of scientists from NASA and Chile’s Valdivia-based Center of Scientific Studies (CECS), which commenced an expedition to the Ice Field in October 2008, sheds light on the alarming speed at which the glaciers are depleting.

The scientists discovered that the masses of ice in the Patagonia are melting in larger proportions and in much higher alpine zones than in any other part of the world, including Alaska and the Himalayas. Glacier ice accounts for around 75 percent of the world’s fresh water.

“The loss of ice mass in the higher zones is the really new phenomenon,” said Gino Casassa, a CECS glaciologist. “At least this is what we are seeing with the preliminary results which we have just received.”

Until recently, it was believed that glacial loss occurred from lower areas, and that snowfall on the higher sections of glaciers would compensate for loss of ice at lower altitudes.

“One hypothesis we put forward was that there could be a positive balance of ice in the high zones because of higher rates of snowfall in these areas,” said Casassa.

But with ice thinning high up and down low, too, loss in glacial mass in Patagonia is likely to be much greater than what has previously been calculated by scientists.

The new findings are also curious because they contradict some former studies.

For example, a previous study found that the Chilean glaciers Trinidad and Pio XI (the biggest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica) had advanced instead of receded, while the Perito Moreno glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park in southern Argentina had maintained a volume balance.

Between 1944 and 1986 glacial ice in the Southern Patagonia Ice Field was recorded as retreating at an average of 57 meters per year.

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6 comments // Patagonia glaciers melting at unprecedented rates

  • Nazzareno
    • 0
      Nazzareno  

    • The word "outrage" is so overused I'm hesitant to use it ...but right now it's the only word for what Congress is up to, and we need to act.

      This Friday, Congress plans to vote on a bill that could fundamentally alter our economy, dramatically affect our climate, and have huge implications for our national security - but right now, no one knows what's in the bill or how it came to be.

      This is far too important. There are no acceptable excuses. Congress MUST read the bill.

      http://readthebill.org

      Last Friday the American Clean Energy and Security Act, or H.R. 2454, was 946 pages long. Over the weekend it ballooned to 1,201 pages with no explanation for how or why. The worst part is that while it is definitely 255 pages longer, it could also be 500 pages different for all we know.

      My colleagues and I have been sitting in our office all afternoon trying to track and understand what has happened in the last three days, and the result is mostly confusion and anger. ...and marker dust from our overused white board.

      And it gets worse.

      The bill is already 1,200 pages long and it isn't even final yet. They are going to accept changes to it right up until 9:30am on Thursday morning before an intended vote on Friday. The fastest speed readers and the most intelligent minds can't make informed decisions with that much time. Does Congress really expect us to believe it can?

      As active citizens who care, we really need your help. We're going to be making as much noise as possible this week, but we need to be able to show support. Please forward on our petition demanding that Congress READ THE BILL to at least five people you know.

      It's also critical that your representative hears your voice directly. Please take a moment to call yours by clicking the "Call Now" button on the simple website we've set up:

      http://readthebill.org

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • theultimateend
    • 0
      theultimateend  

    • When my professor came back from Sweden (she's Swedish) she told us that she was shocked to see a nice chunk of Greenland that they fly over being visibly changed during her stay in Sweden.

    • 2 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • Image

    • A scientific report came out a couple of days ago in Switzerland - it stated that the Swiss glaciers have shrunk by over 12% over the past ten years, and that the 2003 heat-wave accounted for 3,5% of this shrinkage. This is enormous and extremely fast. The report also stated that if this continues at that rate, the glaciers will have all disappeared completely by 2050 (if my memory doesn't fail me).

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Just natural? No way.

      Glaciers morphed:

      Pasterze (Alps)
      Svalbard
      Qori Kalis (Andes, Peru)
      Bear (Alaska)
      McCarty (Alaska)
      Northwestern (Alaska)
      Muir (Alaska)
      Grinnell (Montana)
      Boulder (Washington)
      Easton (washington)
      Pedersen (Alaska)
      Damma (Alps)
      Gurgler Ferner (Alps)
      Upsala (Andes, Patagonia)

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Such melting at higher altitudes means water scarcity for those depending on water from these glaciers at a much faster rate. You want to talk about climate refugees?

    • 2 years ago
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