3. Producción
Browse
Search Results
- Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Palaeoglacier reconstruction and dynamics of Cordillera Vilcanota in the tropical high Peruvian Andes(Wiley, 2026-02-01)Tropical glaciers are important indicators of climate change, provide freshwater resources for downstream communities, and form an important component of the hydrological cycle. Understanding the dynamics and patterns of behaviour of tropical palaeoglaciers is important for interpreting their sensitivities and vulnerabilities. Glacier advances in the high tropical Peruvian Andes occurred multiple times during the last glacial cycle and Holocene, leaving complex geomorphological evidence on the landscape. The substantial topographic, geological and climatic variability in this region leads to high geomorphic diversity. However, few detailed geomorphological studies have been conducted to date, leading to considerable uncertainty in the behaviours and drivers of tropical palaeoglaciers. Here, we provide a detailed geomorphological analysis of the Cordillera Vilcanota, Cusco region, southern Peru (71°W, 13.7°S), and use morphostratigraphic principles to reconstruct the former maximum icefield extent and palaeoglacier advances. Across this domain, we mapped ~23,000 features encompassing five key environments: glacier, subglacial, ice‐marginal, fluvial and lacustrine. The mapped features show evidence of both modern‐day polythermal and temperate ice margins, with low meltwater volumes leading to small‐scale glaciofluvial landform formation. However, larger moraines, beyond those well‐dated to the Younger Dryas and Antarctic Cold Reversal, assumed to represent Last Glacial Maximum and earlier advances, suggest that conditions were temperate and drained by more substantial rivers, with coupled flow of ice and till, and evidence of subglacial scouring, drumlin formation and the deposition of substantial moraines and large palaeosandar. Our reconstructed maximum icefield covers 2,660 km 2 and was drained by multiple topographically constrained ice lobes across the region. In the north, these ice lobes reached an elevation of 3,500 m asl, but were limited to above 4,500 m asl in the south, likely reflecting the dominant moisture sources. Our geomorphological mapping reveals seven clear ice margins, morphostratigraphically correlated across the study region, reflecting at least seven palaeoglacier advances during the last glacial cycle, including the Late Glacial period and the Holocene.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.