Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego
Abstract The Cordillera Darwin Icefield (CDI) in Tierra del Fuego is one of the largest temperate ice bodies in the Southern Hemisphere. We simulate the climatic energy and mass balance of its glaciers (2000–2023), which are sensitive indicators of climatic changes in the Southern Hemisphere’s highe...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57698-6 |
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| author | Franziska Temme Christian Sommer Marius Schaefer Ricardo Jaña Jorge Arigony-Neto Inti Gonzalez Eñaut Izagirre Ricardo Giesecke Dieter Tetzner Johannes J. Fürst |
| author_facet | Franziska Temme Christian Sommer Marius Schaefer Ricardo Jaña Jorge Arigony-Neto Inti Gonzalez Eñaut Izagirre Ricardo Giesecke Dieter Tetzner Johannes J. Fürst |
| author_sort | Franziska Temme |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Cordillera Darwin Icefield (CDI) in Tierra del Fuego is one of the largest temperate ice bodies in the Southern Hemisphere. We simulate the climatic energy and mass balance of its glaciers (2000–2023), which are sensitive indicators of climatic changes in the Southern Hemisphere’s higher mid-latitudes. Year-round westerly winds cause strong climatic gradients across the mountain range, reflected in the energy and mass fluxes. Our results reveal a significant increase in surface melt (+0.18 m w.e. yr-1 per decade) over the past two decades. We also present the first estimate of dynamically controlled mass loss into adjacent fjords and lakes by frontal ablation, amounting to 1.44 ± 0.94 Gt yr-1 (26 % of the total CDI mass loss). Frontal losses are mainly channelized through few marine-terminating glaciers. While frontal ablation is important for predicting the fate of individual glaciers, for the CDI as a whole, atmospheric conditions exert the main control on the current glacier evolution. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fe2b693bd2b040ed8e056c267dd3d899 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-fe2b693bd2b040ed8e056c267dd3d8992025-08-20T02:41:34ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-57698-6Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del FuegoFranziska Temme0Christian Sommer1Marius Schaefer2Ricardo Jaña3Jorge Arigony-Neto4Inti Gonzalez5Eñaut Izagirre6Ricardo Giesecke7Dieter Tetzner8Johannes J. Fürst9Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergInstitut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergInstituto de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad Austral de ChileDepartamento Científico, Instituto Antártico ChilenoInstituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio GrandeCentro de Estudios del Cuaternario de Fuego-Patagonia y AntárticaHydro-Environmental Processes Research Group, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHUInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de ChileIce Dynamics and Palaeoclimate, British Antarctic SurveyInstitut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergAbstract The Cordillera Darwin Icefield (CDI) in Tierra del Fuego is one of the largest temperate ice bodies in the Southern Hemisphere. We simulate the climatic energy and mass balance of its glaciers (2000–2023), which are sensitive indicators of climatic changes in the Southern Hemisphere’s higher mid-latitudes. Year-round westerly winds cause strong climatic gradients across the mountain range, reflected in the energy and mass fluxes. Our results reveal a significant increase in surface melt (+0.18 m w.e. yr-1 per decade) over the past two decades. We also present the first estimate of dynamically controlled mass loss into adjacent fjords and lakes by frontal ablation, amounting to 1.44 ± 0.94 Gt yr-1 (26 % of the total CDI mass loss). Frontal losses are mainly channelized through few marine-terminating glaciers. While frontal ablation is important for predicting the fate of individual glaciers, for the CDI as a whole, atmospheric conditions exert the main control on the current glacier evolution.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57698-6 |
| spellingShingle | Franziska Temme Christian Sommer Marius Schaefer Ricardo Jaña Jorge Arigony-Neto Inti Gonzalez Eñaut Izagirre Ricardo Giesecke Dieter Tetzner Johannes J. Fürst Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego Nature Communications |
| title | Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego |
| title_full | Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego |
| title_fullStr | Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego |
| title_short | Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego |
| title_sort | climate s firm grip on glacier ablation in the cordillera darwin icefield tierra del fuego |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57698-6 |
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