Mass balances 2007/12 of four small glaciers at the Central Andes, Argentina - Chile

CABRERA, GABRIEL ALBERTO; LEIVA, JUAN CARLOS

Fairbanks, Alaska

Simposio; International Symposium on Mountain Glaciers, Ice Caps and Ice Sheets in a Warming Climate; 2012

International Glaciological Society

A five-year mass balance series is presented for four small glaciers on the Arid Central Andes of Argentina-Chile, between 4900 and 5500 m asl at 30°S latitude. On the Argentinian side, Conconta Norte (CNG) and Brown Superior (BSG) glaciers are located in Cordillera Colangüil, a minor local range. On the international border heights, 83 km NNW, Los Amarillos (LAG) glacier on the Argentinian side, and very close on the Chilean side, Amarillo (AmG) glacier, are located. Many glacierets exist in the region, some strongly receding and disappearing, two of them (BIg & CSg) studied. Glacier mass balances were determined by the glaciological method, with one spring field mission to get the winter balance, and another one in autumn to get the summer balance, every year since 2007. The annual balances have been negative for all the glaciers during the study period, 2007/12. The ablation stakes displacement was measured in order to evaluate glaciers activity and demonstrate glacierets inactivity. The mass balances of the studied period are compared with WGMS data, resulting in no significant differences between both samples.