Glacier runoff and “Peak Water” for selected glacier basins in the Andes
While most glaciers around the globe have been shrinking since the end of a cold period at the beginning of the 18th Century, referred to as the Little Ice Age (Vuille et al., 2018; Zemp et al., 2015), the recent rapid retreat of glaciers in the Andes has been linked to anthropogenic climate change (Marzeion et al., 2014). Glaciers are sensitive indicators of climate change as they respond rapidly to temperature and precipitation changes. The rapid retreat of tropical glaciers is considered to be one of the most visible indicators of global warming (Vuille et al., 2008). The amount of glacial retreat varies, but small glaciers are most vulnerable and many in the Andes have already disappeared.
Year: 2019
From collection: The Andean Glacier and Water Atlas
Cartographer: Riccardo Pravettoni