The final countdown? Monitoring the rapid shrinkage of the Maladeta glacier (2010–2020), Southern Pyrenees

Small glaciers are one of the best indicators of climatic variations and their short-term effects. Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Maladeta is one of these glaciers. Its systematic observation began in the 1980s, being one of the few Pyrenean glaciers with a tongue-shaped front. This study pres...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martínez-Fernández, A., Serrano Cañadas, Enrique, Sanjosé Blasco, José Juan de, Gómez Lende, Manuel, Sánchez Fernández, M., López Moreno, J. I., Rico, I., Pisabarro, A.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
Repositorio:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unican.es:10902/32275
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10902/32275
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Glaciology
Global Change
Monitoring
Geomatics
Terrestrial Laser Scanning 39 (TLS)
Photogrammetry
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
Pyrenees
Descripción
Sumario:Small glaciers are one of the best indicators of climatic variations and their short-term effects. Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Maladeta is one of these glaciers. Its systematic observation began in the 1980s, being one of the few Pyrenean glaciers with a tongue-shaped front. This study presents the evolution of the Maladeta glacial tongue over a decade (2010?2020) through multiple geomatic techniques. Surveys have ranged from Total Stations and Global Navigation Satellite System devices to massive data capture techniques such as Terrestrial Laser Scanners or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles photogrammetry. The aim is to analyze in detail the loss of surface area and thickness of the glacier and its transition from being a glacier with a tongue partially determined by climate to a topoclimatically determined cirque glacier. The results reveal a tongue retreat of over 5 m/yr and area losses of over 0.2 ha/yr, along with ice thickness and volume losses of 1.7 m/yr and over 21 103 m3/yr, respectively. If this trend continues, the tongue, and possibly the Maladeta glacier, could disappear by the end of the 2030s