Annual Variability in the Cordillera Blanca Snow Accumulation Area Between 1988 and 2023 Using a Cloud Processing Platform
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Tropical glaciers are highly sensitive to climate change, with their mass balance influenced by temperature and precipitation, which affects the accumulation area. In this study, we developed an open-source tool to map the accumulation area of glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru (1988–2023), using Landsat images, spectral indices, and the Otsu method. We analyzed trends and correlations between snow accumulation area, meteorological patterns from ERA5 data, and oscillation modes. The results were validated using field data and manual mapping. Greater discrepancies were observed in glaciers with debris cover or small clean glaciers (<1 km2). The Amazonian and Pacific sectors showed a significant trend in decreasing accumulation areas, with reductions of 8.99% and 10.24%, respectively, from 1988–1999 to 2010–2023. El Niño events showed higher correlations with snow accumulation, snowfall, and temperature during the wet season, indicating a stronger influence on the Pacific sector. The accumulation area was strongly anti-correlated with temperature and correlated with snowfall in both sectors at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05). The highest correlations with meteorological parameters were observed during the dry season, suggesting that even minor changes in temperature or precipitation could significantly impact the accumulation area.
Source: Geosciences
Institutions: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Grenoble Alpes, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, U.S. Geological Survey
OpenAlex ID: W4411285508