3. Producción
Browse
Search Results
- Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Towards co-produced water management pathways to counteract deteriorating mountain water quality in the deglaciating Peruvian Andes(Taylor & Francis, 2026-01-01)Glacier retreat has led to widespread downstream impacts increasing water insecurity. A growing number of catchments in the deglaciating Peruvian Andes is currently exposed to natural acid rock drainage which severely affects human and ecosystem health, and therefore urgently requires sustainable solutions. Yet, this challenging endeavour has barely been addressed in science and policy. We showcase the deglaciating Negro river catchment (Cordillera Blanca, Peru), to disentangle the complex spatiotemporal interactions between specific catchment characteristics, glacier retreat, water quality and local water governance. Therefore, in-situ measurements of water quality in rivers and wetlands are analysed against multidecadal glacier retreat. Our results reveal high acidity in glaciated subcatchments while deglaciated subcatchments indicate improved drinking water conditions, with considerable seasonal variability in rivers and wetlands. The results are jointly analysed with local villagers and decision-makers under a co-produced framework that supports strategies for adaptive management and policy to increase long-term mountain water security. - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Radon emissions as indicators of changes in tropical Andean ecosystems emerging after glacial retreat under climate forcing(Springer Science+Business Media, 2026-03-01)This study examines radon emissions as potential proxies for environmental change in tropical Andean ecosystems undergoing rapid glacier retreat due to climate forcing. The research was conducted in the proglacial zone of the Yana Ucsha glacier in the Peruvian Andes, where field campaigns between July and November 2023 yielded radon measurements at approximately 28-day intervals across ten monitoring sites (M1–M10). Radon flux was measured using LR115 detectors and complemented by analyses of soil texture and the topographic wetness index (TWI) to assess the influence of environmental variables. Results demonstrate that radon emissions are strongly modulated by soil moisture, which in turn is regulated by regional air temperature and glacier runoff. A significant inverse relationship was identified between radon exhalation and regional air temperature, indicating that warmer periods suppress radon release due to increased soil moisture from enhanced glacier melt. Conversely, the coldest monitoring interval (second period) exhibited markedly higher radon exhalation, reaching up to 0.45 and 0.32 Bq m−2 h−1 at sites M1 and M4, respectively—approximately four to five times greater than the baseline range (0–0.10 Bq m−2h−1) observed during other periods. This pronounced temporal anomaly coincided with lower regional air temperatures, reduced glacier runoff, and drier soil conditions, highlighting strong climatic control on radon emissions. These findings suggest that ongoing glacier retreat and climate change may constrain or reduce radon emission rates in Andean proglacial environments, with important implications for environmental monitoring and ecosystem dynamics. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the interactions among cryospheric, atmospheric, and radon dynamics in the tropical Andes.1 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Glaciers of the Andes(Elsevier BV, 2026-01-01)The Andean Mountain range is the longest in the world, running more than 8000km along the western edge of South America, from 11°N to 55°S. There are over 25,000 glaciers that occupy the Andean mountains, with an area of ∼30,000km2. The latitudinal range produces unique glacial landscapes that are influence by unique climatological regimes. The northern Andes, or the tropical Andes, holds 99% of the worlds tropical glaciers. The most southern parts of the Andean ranges host some the largest ice bodies on Earth with the Patagonian Ice Fields. These glaciers play a critical role as natural water towers. They provide freshwater to mountain communities and large population center cross the Andean range while facilitating unique ecosystems and biodiversity. These glaciers have changed through time due to climate changes. The past saw advance and retreat phases, while we are currently seeing massive reductions in ice mass due to present climate change. This is change is of active study, with projections on future changes seeing substantive reductions. In this chapter, we will explore the contemporary state of the glaciers and ice caps seen across the Andes and how their local climate and topography dictates their configurations across different latitudinal ranges. We will assess the accelerated retreat and volume loss observed in recent decades due to climate change, while also providing an understanding of longer-term changes from the LIA using the geomorphological record. And lastly, we will look ahead to future projections of glacier ice loss, over the next century.