The article I read is a study of the glacier melt in the central region of Chile. Titled Assessing Glacier Melt Contribution to Streamflow at Universidad Glacier, central Andes of Chile, written by Claudia Bravo, Thomas Loriaux, Andres Rivera, and Ben W. Brock. This specific region of Chile relies heavily on the Andes’s water supply. 60% of Chile’s population resides in this area, and the streamflow contribution for these glaciers are vital for water supply during dry region. It is crucial to have knowledge about the runoff in these mountains to predict availability.
The causes to this melting are due to multiple factors. One effect is caused by dust settling on top of the glacier which covers the white surface. Since the white surface is covered, the particles absorbed solar energy which causes heat and in turn causes ice melting. This is a very common problem because most glaciers in Chile are located very close to mines. Even with government regulations on mining, there will never be a reduction of production because Chile’s economy relies heavily on mining. They are responsible for producing a third of the world’s copper.
Another reason for the downfall of glaciers is the climate prediction for the future in these specific regions of Chile. There is supposed to be a decrease of thirty percent in the rainfall over the next five decades. A decrease in rain and snowfall would have a huge influence on the natural reconstruction of the glaciers that are already reduced in the summer due to meltwater.
For the study mentioned in the article, the scientists used meteorological measurements in two locations near the glaciers. Using a point-scale energy balance and a degree-hour melt model, which provided gathered data on the conditions of melt water contribution. The initial issue in the Andes mountains above Chile’s capital, at the foot of the glaciers that date from the last ice age, the temperatures were almost pleasantly warm this summer. That threatens long-term water supplies to the city of approximately seven million people residing on the land below. At the Olivares Alfa glacier, which is 4,420 meters above sea level, temperatures rose above fifty degrees Fahrenheit on most days in January. The temperature barely fell below zero, which is a huge threat to the state of the glaciers.
Global warming affects environmental systems all over the world. Chile unfortunately experiences the results of this tragedy daily. Glaciers there are melting faster than anywhere else in the world, and that melting increases the risk of a natural phenomenon called a glacial lake outburst flood. These floods happen when a glacier that is damming a lake develops a hole, suddenly allowing the lake waters to pour through. This is a very common occurrence in the central region of Chile, causing a lot of loss of water that the citizens could be utilizing.
Experts have tried to gather data using satellite images but those only date back to 30 years, and even then, studies showed glaciers have lost volume on average “10 to 100 times faster”. These environmentalists have tried to take a different approach by using a new method that allows us to look at longer timescales. The calculations showed that in recent years the mountain glaciers have rapidly increased their melt rate and thus their contribution to global sea level. Though there is no quick fix to this issue, the only thing experts can do is continue to monitor the rate of melt in the glaciers. They can also hope the worldwide crisis of global warming decreases in harshness with the implementation of renewable resource energy methods that was recently mandated by the Chilean government.
Specifically, those regulations apply to the commercial activity on glaciers in the national parks. Commercial activity can include helicopter rides lading on glaciers for tourist’s exploration, and other things of that nature. This law covers most of the glaciers in the Andean country, since eighty percent of them are national park territory. In regard to the limitation of mining, this is a controversial topic that has not come to a conclusion yet. The proposed limitation would imply a major cost increase in mining production which is not what the Chilean economy needs.