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Abstract
Based on the recently released National Glacier Inventory (NGI), we analyzed the characteristics and the mass balance rates of ice masses in the Argentinean Central Andes (ca. 30°–37° S). The NGI provides unprecedented information on area, number and distribution of different ice masses, including debris-covered glaciers and rock glaciers. In the Central Andes, a number of 8,076 ice masses were identified covering a total area of 1767 km2. For the period 2000–2018, a general lowering of the ice surface was observed with a region-wide mass balance rate of −0.18 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1. Clear differences depending on the debris coverage of the different ice masses were identified, with mass balance rates ranging from −0.36 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1 for partly debris-covered glaciers to −0.02 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1 for rock glaciers. Considering different sub-periods, the region-wide mass balance rate was slightly positive (+0.12 ± 0.23 m w. e. yr−1) from 2000 to 2009 and negative (−0.21 ± 0.30 m w.e. yr−1) from 2009 to 2018. A comparison with the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI version 6.0) indicates that the NGI provides more detailed information regarding different type of ice masses whereas region-wide mass balance rates show limited sensitivity to the choice of the inventory. The inclusion of rock glaciers and “debris-covered ice with rock glacier” in the NGI causes mass balance rates to be slightly less negative than when using the RGI. Since the Central Andes are experiencing an unprecedented decade-long drought, our study provides crucial information to estimate current and future hydrological contribution of the different type of ice masses to river discharge in the arid subtropical Andes.
Highlights
Comprehensive and detailed glacier inventories provide important reference datasets for assessing the current status and estimating the recent and future glacier changes (Paul et al, 2013; Vaughan et al, 2013)
The goals of the present study are three-fold: 1) Analyze the main characteristics of the different ice masses identified in the National Glacier Inventory of Argentina (NGI) of the Central Andes of Argentina, focusing especially on the presence of debris coverage and rock glaciers, and compare these results with those provided by the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) version 6.0 for the same region; 2) revise the geodetic mass balance estimates from Dussaillant et al (2019) using the improved NGI; and 3) compare the mass balance rates of the different NGI ice masses in relation to their percentage of debris coverage
The NGI in the Central Andes of Argentina includes a total of 8,076 ice masses covering 1767 km2 (Figure 3)
Summary
Comprehensive and detailed glacier inventories provide important reference datasets for assessing the current status and estimating the recent and future glacier changes (Paul et al, 2013; Vaughan et al, 2013). Ice Mass Loss Central Andes largest glacierized area (WGMS, 2020). The recent National Glacier Inventory of Argentina (hereafter NGI), conducted by IANIGLA-CONICET in accordance with the National Law 26,639 for glacier protection in Argentina, provides a comprehensive dataset and detailed outlines of all Argentinean ice masses (Zalazar et al, 2020). The NGI, developed following international standards (UNESCO-IASH, 1970; Raup et al, 2007; Kargel, 2014), identified 16,078 ice masses covering a total area of 5,769 km in the Andes of Argentina. Until the publication of the NGI (Zalazar et al, 2020), the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI; Pfeffer et al, 2014) was the only glacier inventory considering the entire Argentinean Andes; still, some debris-covered glaciers and rock glaciers were not classified as this was not part of the RGI objectives
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