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| Titel |
Current state of glaciers in the tropical Andes: a multi-century perspective on glacier evolution and climate change |
| VerfasserIn |
A. Rabatel, B. Francou, A. Soruco, J. Gómez, B. Cáceres, J. L. Ceballos, R. Basantes, M. Vuille, J.-E. Sicart, C. Huggel, M. Scheel, Y. Lejeune, Y. Arnaud, M. Collet, T. Condom, G. Consoli, V. Favier, V. Jomelli, R. Galarraga, P. Ginot, L. Maisincho, J. Mendoza, M. Ménégoz, E. Ramirez, P. Ribstein, W. Suarez, M. Villacis, P. Wagnon |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1994-0416
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: The Cryosphere ; 7, no. 1 ; Nr. 7, no. 1 (2013-01-22), S.81-102 |
| Datensatznummer |
250017404
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/tc-7-81-2013.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The aim of this paper is to provide the community with a comprehensive
overview of the studies of glaciers in the tropical Andes conducted in
recent decades leading to the current status of the glaciers in the context
of climate change. In terms of changes in surface area and length, we show
that the glacier retreat in the tropical Andes over the last three decades
is unprecedented since the maximum extension of the Little Ice Age (LIA, mid-17th–early 18th century). In terms of changes in mass balance, although
there have been some sporadic gains on several glaciers, we show that the
trend has been quite negative over the past 50 yr, with a mean mass
balance deficit for glaciers in the tropical Andes that is slightly more
negative than the one computed on a global scale. A break point in the trend
appeared in the late 1970s with mean annual mass balance per year decreasing
from −0.2 m w.e. in the period 1964–1975 to −0.76 m w.e. in the period
1976–2010. In addition, even if glaciers are currently retreating everywhere
in the tropical Andes, it should be noted that this is much more pronounced
on small glaciers at low altitudes that do not have a permanent accumulation
zone, and which could disappear in the coming years/decades. Monthly mass
balance measurements performed in Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia show that
variability of the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean is the main
factor governing variability of the mass balance at the decadal timescale.
Precipitation did not display a significant trend in the tropical Andes in
the 20th century, and consequently cannot explain the glacier
recession. On the other hand, temperature increased at a significant rate of
0.10 °C decade−1 in the last 70 yr. The higher frequency of El
Niño events and changes in its spatial and temporal occurrence since the
late 1970s together with a warming troposphere over the tropical Andes may
thus explain much of the recent dramatic shrinkage of glaciers in this part
of the world. |
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