60 Years of Glacier Elevation and Mass Changes in the Maipo River Basin, Central Andes of Chile
Farias-Barahona, David
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Ayala, Alvaro
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain
Bravo, Claudio
University of Leeds
Vivero, Sebastian
University of Lausanne
Seehaus, Thorsten
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Vijay, Saurabh
University System of Ohio
Schaefer, Marius
Universidad Austral de Chile
Buglio, Franco
Minist Obras Publ
Braun, Matthias H.
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Journal
remote sensing
ISSN
2072-4292
Open Access
gold
Volume
12
Glaciers in the central Andes of Chile are fundamental freshwater sources for ecosystems and communities. Overall, glaciers in this region have shown continuous recession and down-wasting, but long-term glacier mass balance studies providing precise estimates of these changes are scarce. Here, we present the first long-term (1955-2013/2015), region-specific glacier elevation and mass change estimates for the Maipo River Basin, from which the densely populated metropolitan region of Chile obtains most of its freshwater supply. We calculated glacier elevation and mass changes using historical topographic maps, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X), and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) digital elevation models. The results indicated a mean regional glacier mass balance of -0.12 +/- 0.06 m w.e.a(-1), with a total mass loss of 2.43 +/- 0.26 Gt for the Maipo River Basin between 1955-2013. The most negative glacier mass balance was the Olivares sub-basin, with a mean value of -0.29 +/- 0.07 m w.e.a(-1). We observed spatially heterogeneous glacier elevation and mass changes between 1955 and 2000, and more negative values between 2000 and 2013, with an acceleration in ice thinning rates starting in 2010, which coincides with the severe drought. Our results provide key information to improve glaciological and hydrological projections in a region where water resources are under pressure.