Glacier variations in the Central Andes (Mendoza province, Argentina) from 1896 to 2005

L. E. ESPIZUA AND G. I. MALDONADO

Environmental change and rational water use

Orientación Gráfica Editora

Lugar: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Año: 2007; p. 353 - 366

ABSTRACT Glaciers respond to slight but prolonged changes in climate. As glaciers store or release water, this “natural regulation” of runoff from glacierized areas is critical to water supply and use in semi-arid regions. This work presents the response of four glaciers to climate change in the Andean Central Cordillera of Mendoza (33º and 35º S latitude) since the late 19th century. The use of the Landsat thematic mapper (TM) scenes was essential for measuring the glacier fluctuations and the area of the glaciers. Description is given of the geometric and atmospheric corrections for the detection of glacier snow and ice in the TM scenes. The method of Dark Object Subtraction (DOS) for atmospheric corrections was applied as per Chávez (1996). The surface of the glaciers was detected using the Dozier (1989) criterion. The fluctuations of de las Vacas, Güssfeldt, El Azufre and El Peñón glaciers have been studied since the early 19th century to 2005, through the use of historical records data, topographic maps, aerial photographs taken in 1963 and 1974, satellite images (TM) of different years, and GPS measurements in the field. Landsat data have been found to be useful for delineating snow-free and snow-covered glacier areas and for estimating the AAR (accumulation area ratio) in the final classification.