Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile
<p>As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected, affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River basin (4843 km<span class=&...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2020-06-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/14/2005/2020/tc-14-2005-2020.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819143724331958272 |
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| author | Á. Ayala Á. Ayala Á. Ayala D. Farías-Barahona M. Huss M. Huss M. Huss F. Pellicciotti F. Pellicciotti J. McPhee J. McPhee D. Farinotti D. Farinotti |
| author_facet | Á. Ayala Á. Ayala Á. Ayala D. Farías-Barahona M. Huss M. Huss M. Huss F. Pellicciotti F. Pellicciotti J. McPhee J. McPhee D. Farinotti D. Farinotti |
| author_sort | Á. Ayala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate
variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected,
affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier
runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River basin (4843 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>,
33.0–34.3<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> S, 69.8–70.5<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> W), in the semiarid Andes of Chile.
The basin contains more than 800 glaciers, which cover 378 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> in total (inventoried
in 2000). We model the mass balance and runoff contribution of 26 glaciers
with the physically oriented and fully distributed TOPKAPI (Topographic Kinematic Approximation and Integration)-ETH
glacio-hydrological model and extrapolate the results to the entire basin.
TOPKAPI-ETH is run at a daily time step using several glaciological and
meteorological datasets, and its results are evaluated against streamflow
records, remotely sensed snow cover, and geodetic mass balances for the
periods 1955–2000 and 2000–2013. Results show that in 1955–2016 glacier mass balance had
a general decreasing trend as a basin average but also had differences between
the main sub-catchments. Glacier volume decreased by one-fifth (from
<span class="inline-formula">18.6±4.5</span> to <span class="inline-formula">14.9±2.9</span> km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>). Runoff from the initially
glacierized areas was <span class="inline-formula">177±25</span> mm yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> (<span class="inline-formula">16±7</span> % of the
total contributions to the basin), but it shows a decreasing sequence of
maxima, which can be linked to the interplay between a decrease in
precipitation since the 1980s and the reduction of ice melt. Glaciers in the
Maipo River basin will continue retreating because they are not in
equilibrium with the current climate. In a hypothetical constant climate
scenario, glacier volume would reduce to <span class="inline-formula">81±38</span> % of the year 2000
volume, and glacier runoff would be <span class="inline-formula">78±30</span> % of the 1955–2016
average. This would considerably decrease the drought mitigation capacity of
the basin.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:30:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f39466b2206457bbea71a75ac07f564 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:30:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f39466b2206457bbea71a75ac07f5642022-12-21T18:25:40ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242020-06-01142005202710.5194/tc-14-2005-2020Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central ChileÁ. Ayala0Á. Ayala1Á. Ayala2D. Farías-Barahona3M. Huss4M. Huss5M. Huss6F. Pellicciotti7F. Pellicciotti8J. McPhee9J. McPhee10D. Farinotti11D. Farinotti12Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerlandnow at: Centre for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA), La Serena, 1720256, ChileInstitut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, 91058, GermanyLaboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, 8903, SwitzerlandDepartment of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, 1700, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, 8903, SwitzerlandDepartment of Geography, Northumbria University, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UKDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Chile, Santiago, 8370449, ChileAdvanced Mining Technology Centre (AMTC), University of Chile, Santiago, 8370451, ChileLaboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland<p>As glaciers adjust their size in response to climate variations, long-term changes in meltwater production can be expected, affecting the local availability of water resources. We investigate glacier runoff in the period 1955–2016 in the Maipo River basin (4843 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>, 33.0–34.3<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> S, 69.8–70.5<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> W), in the semiarid Andes of Chile. The basin contains more than 800 glaciers, which cover 378 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> in total (inventoried in 2000). We model the mass balance and runoff contribution of 26 glaciers with the physically oriented and fully distributed TOPKAPI (Topographic Kinematic Approximation and Integration)-ETH glacio-hydrological model and extrapolate the results to the entire basin. TOPKAPI-ETH is run at a daily time step using several glaciological and meteorological datasets, and its results are evaluated against streamflow records, remotely sensed snow cover, and geodetic mass balances for the periods 1955–2000 and 2000–2013. Results show that in 1955–2016 glacier mass balance had a general decreasing trend as a basin average but also had differences between the main sub-catchments. Glacier volume decreased by one-fifth (from <span class="inline-formula">18.6±4.5</span> to <span class="inline-formula">14.9±2.9</span> km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>). Runoff from the initially glacierized areas was <span class="inline-formula">177±25</span> mm yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> (<span class="inline-formula">16±7</span> % of the total contributions to the basin), but it shows a decreasing sequence of maxima, which can be linked to the interplay between a decrease in precipitation since the 1980s and the reduction of ice melt. Glaciers in the Maipo River basin will continue retreating because they are not in equilibrium with the current climate. In a hypothetical constant climate scenario, glacier volume would reduce to <span class="inline-formula">81±38</span> % of the year 2000 volume, and glacier runoff would be <span class="inline-formula">78±30</span> % of the 1955–2016 average. This would considerably decrease the drought mitigation capacity of the basin.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/14/2005/2020/tc-14-2005-2020.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Á. Ayala Á. Ayala Á. Ayala D. Farías-Barahona M. Huss M. Huss M. Huss F. Pellicciotti F. Pellicciotti J. McPhee J. McPhee D. Farinotti D. Farinotti Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile The Cryosphere |
| title | Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile |
| title_full | Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile |
| title_fullStr | Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile |
| title_short | Glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the Maipo River basin, in the semiarid Andes of central Chile |
| title_sort | glacier runoff variations since 1955 in the maipo river basin in the semiarid andes of central chile |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/14/2005/2020/tc-14-2005-2020.pdf |
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