This page is based largely on Bendle et al. (2017) and summarises the glacial geomorphology of the North Patagonian Icefield region (46–48°S). Glaciers and the Patagonian landscape The Patagonian Ice Sheet has expanded and contracted at least five times during the last million years1. During glacial periods, large outlet glaciers discharged along major valleys (see […]
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Geographic setting Patagonia, between ~40°S to 56°S, is the most southerly part of the South American continent. The landscape of this region is one of contrasts. Dense temperate rainforests cover the western coast, whereas the eastern plains are flat, vast, and arid. Perhaps most striking, however, are the high, Patagonian Andes, which rise steeply (up
The Patagonian Icefields today Read More »
The moisture-bearing Southern Westerly Winds The Patagonian Ice Sheet, which formed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) around 21,000 years ago, was strongly influenced by the Southern Westerly Winds. These winds blow around the Southern Hemisphere in the mid-latitudes (see map below) and deliver snow and rain to the western coast of southern South America[1],
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What was the former Patagonian Ice Sheet? The Patagonian Ice Sheet was a large, elongated mountain ice mass that developed over the Andes mountains of southern South America during cold periods[1]. The Patagonian Ice Sheet has advanced and retreated at least 5 times in the last million years[2] in response to changes in global climate (i.e.
Patagonian Ice Sheet at the LGM Read More »
Drumlins around Lago Viedma Although the Patagonian Icefields aren’t generally associated with drumlins (Glasser et al., 2008), there are some around Lago Viedma in the South Patagonian Icefield. They have been described in detail (Ponce et al., 2013) but they show up beautifully in the Landsat map below. The mapping below is by me (Bethan
Introduction | Remote sensing of glaciers | Glacier inventories | The Randolph Glacier Inventory | Glacier contributions to sea level rise | Summary | References | Comments | Introduction How many glaciers are there in the World? How much ice do they have? How much will they raise sea levels on full melting? How likely,
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This page is a shortened and simplified version of the paper by Davies et al. 2013, published by the Geological Society of London. It discusses a semi-arid subpolar landsystem and its paraglacial modification on James Ross Island, northeast Antarctic Peninsula. Glacial landsystems | | Methods | Sediment-landform assemblages | Processes of landscape evolution | Glacial-paraglacial-periglacial
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This page is based on an article by Dr Jonathan Carrivick that appeared in Geology Today. Introduction | Geological importance of jökulhlaups | Deglacial association of jökulhlaups | Case study: volcanically-triggered jökulhlaups at Eyafjallajökull, Iceland | Comments | Introduction Jökulhlaups, or glacial outburst floods (GLOFS) are a key part of the deglaciation of alpine mountains
This webpage is a shortened and simplified version of the Davies and Glasser 2012 paper published in Journal of Glaciology. Introduction | Results | Glacier Change | Conclusions | References | Comments | Introduction The Little Ice Age The Little Ice Age (LIA) is widely recognised in places like the Alps in the northern hemisphere,
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Antarctic Peninsula environmental change | Antarctic Peninsula glacier change | References | Comments | This page is largely from Davies et al. 2012 (open access) and Glasser et al. 2011. Download the PDF for Davies et al. 2012. Antarctic Peninsula environmental change Numerous recent papers have documented increasing atmospheric[1-3] and oceanic temperatures[4, 5] across the
Antarctic Peninsula glacier change Read More »
