{"id":21311,"date":"2024-05-21T17:56:59","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T20:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/?p=21311"},"modified":"2026-05-22T01:15:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:15:53","slug":"in-the-trace-of-the-thawing-the-importance-of-monitoring-the-mocho-glacier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/report\/in-the-trace-of-the-thawing-the-importance-of-monitoring-the-mocho-glacier\/","title":{"rendered":"In the trace of the thawing: The importance of monitoring the Mocho glacier"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the current situation, an alarming headline captured the media&#8217;s attention a few months ago: \u201c6<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">000 Olympic pools lost in the last year, the heartrending thawing of the Mocho glacier<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d. However, beyond the shocking numbers, the inevitable question arises:\u00a0<\/span><b>Is this phenomenon the biggest thawing of a glacier in Chile?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0To answer this question, it\u2019s necessary to go deeper into the precise monitoring that experts carry out at<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Mocho glacier, thus revealing the true extent of its thawing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This analysis not only evaluates the losses but also explores the deepest consequences of this phenomenon from various perspectives. From ecological and hydrological viewpoints to the field of tourism, the consequences are intertwined in a complex web that redefines the relationship between men and nature.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fundaci\u00f3n Glaciares Chilenos had the privilege of interviewing renowned academics in the field of sciences, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/glaciouach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Dr. Marius Schaefer<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who is an academic of the Institute of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the Austral University of Chile; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paul_sq_phi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Paul Sandoval Quilodr\u00e1n<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MSc candidate in Water Resources of the same university; and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jorgeberkhoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Jorge Berkhoff<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, PhD candidate from the Institut f\u00fcr Geographie de la Friedrich-Alexander-Universit\u00e4t Erlangen-N\u00fcrnberg in Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15878\" style=\"width: 2410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15878\" class=\"wp-image-15878\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/16185843\/Mocho-ontonio2-persona-Schaefer-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/16185843\/Mocho-ontonio2-persona-Schaefer-scaled.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/16185843\/Mocho-ontonio2-persona-Schaefer-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/16185843\/Mocho-ontonio2-persona-Schaefer-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/16185843\/Mocho-ontonio2-persona-Schaefer-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2400px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15878\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Dr. Marius Schaefer<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Glacier in danger\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s set deep in the majestic Mocho-Choshuenco National Reserve, situated in the province of Valdivia<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Los R\u00edos<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> region. The<\/span><b> Mocho glacier stands as the indisputable protagonist of the region.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Among <\/span><b>its main characteristics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it\u2019s a mountain glacier attached to a volcanic complex, in latitude 40\u00aa south, which is a southern latitude for Chile, but quite low for the rest of the world. It\u2019s a highly dynamic glacier that in recent years has created new lakes that give signs of its deterioration\u201d, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explains <\/span><b>Marius and Jorge.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interesting point to note is the elevation range in which it\u2019s located, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cbetween the 1,700 and 2,400 m asl; in terms of scientific and glaciological relevance, the glacier has the largest study history in the entire southern glaciological zone,\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in <\/span><b>Paul\u2019s <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">words. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The current situation of the glacier is alarming, <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marius <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">points out<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u201cMillions of cubic meters have been lost, but since millions are hard to obtain, let\u2019s turn them into Olympic<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pools and there we\u2019re close of the 6,000 and one pool is 2<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,500 cubic meters (6,000 x 2,500= 15,000,000 cubic meters\u201d). <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists are still not clear about the causes of this major thawing<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cwe\u2019re recently looking at data (&#8230;) last summer was the thawing, last winter was normal with a positive tendency but summer was more special. We\u2019re trying to understand the reason for it; of course, the main suspect is high temperatures.\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also adds: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe temperature tendency isn\u2019t clear either because to talk about tendencies, we need to have at least 30 years of data, and we only started here in 2003, so we still have some years to go\u201d. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15956\" style=\"width: 2310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15956\" class=\"wp-image-15956\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191145\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-3-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2300\" height=\"1725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191145\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-3-scaled.jpeg 2300w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191145\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-3-1280x960.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191145\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-3-980x735.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191145\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-3-480x360.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2300px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15956\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mocho glacier \u2013 Photo by Romyna Monsalves<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Monitoring the thawing process<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monitoring glacial melt is of vital importance today due to its crucial role in the <\/span><b>global climate system, as well as in the supply of hydrological resources <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to communities around the world. These ice giants act as sensitive indicators of environmental and climate changes, providing invaluable information about the planet\u2019s health. The continuous tracking of ice mass, glacier retreat, and other related phenomena allows scientists to better understand the effects of climate change and take informed decisions to reduce its negative impacts. In addition, <\/span><b>the monitoring of the glaciers is essential for water management planning, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">natural disaster prevention, and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems that depend on glacier resources for their survival.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In relation to the Mocho glacier, <\/span><b>Paul<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tells us: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This yellow border covers the entire volcanic complex, and there are two volcanoes and summits. Here in the north is the Choshuenco volcano, and further to the south is the Mocho volcano.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15896\" style=\"width: 5010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15896\" class=\"wp-image-15896 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17235745\/Mapa_glaciares_chilenos_v2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"5000\" height=\"3616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17235745\/Mapa_glaciares_chilenos_v2.png 5000w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17235745\/Mapa_glaciares_chilenos_v2-1280x720.png 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17235745\/Mapa_glaciares_chilenos_v2-980x551.png 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17235745\/Mapa_glaciares_chilenos_v2-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 5000px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15896\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cThat entire area is the glacier, but the eastern basin is what has been studied since 2003 (Mocho glacier is covered in yellow). I like this map a lot because it gives us a panoramic view of the entire glacier and the zone being monitored.\u201d Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Jorge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0explains to us:\u00a0<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSince 2020, constant monitoring has been carried out with the General Water Directorate (DGA, by its Spanish acronym) to observe how the glacier\u2019s ice thickness changes and to understand the glacier dynamics by installing weather stations on the glacier.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thawing of the Mocho glacier and its monitoring raise a key question in the Chilean context: <\/span><b>It\u2019s the biggest thawing of the country? Marius <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gives us an answer: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><\/i><b><i>Saying that the Mocho glacier is the biggest thawing isn&#8217;t true; <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it\u2019s proportional to the size of the glacier, and here we\u2019re talking about a glacier around 5 km\u00b2, which is a medium-sized glacier in Chile. The average size would be 1 km\u00b2<\/span><\/i><b>, <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so we\u2019re not talking about a small glacier, but neither about an excessively large glacier. Of course, if we see it in Patagonia, where there is a glacier covering hundreds of square kilometers, the bigger the loss will be. La Tercera [Chilean newspaper] published that it was the biggest thawing, and they never talked with us to verify the data\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What really happens is that this thawing corresponds to \u201c<\/span><b>the most negative mass balance in the history of monitoring at Mocho<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d <\/span><b>Paul <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">claims. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15894\" style=\"width: 7037px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15894\" class=\"wp-image-15894 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202830\/BM_Mocho_GlaciaresChilenos.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"7027\" height=\"3631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202830\/BM_Mocho_GlaciaresChilenos.png 7027w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202830\/BM_Mocho_GlaciaresChilenos-1280x661.png 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202830\/BM_Mocho_GlaciaresChilenos-980x506.png 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202830\/BM_Mocho_GlaciaresChilenos-480x248.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 7027px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15894\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cThis is a bibliographic summary of all published mass balances; pay attention to the blue and red bars. The red bars signify glacier retreat, and the blue bars its increase. A clear trend can be seen where the bar for this 2022\/2023 period has been the most negative.\u201d &#8211; Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Jorge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adds: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another method that began to be used is called the <\/span><\/i><b><i>geodetic method<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mainly, <\/span><\/i><b><i>the mass balance is understood as the health status of the glacier, <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the geodetic method only measures the variety of altitude; therefore, we need satellite images to measure the edge and also the elevation data for the entire glacier, and that is a technique that began to be implemented in Mocho as well, which Marius, Paul, and I began to use. Clearly, if we use older data, we can reconstruct it with that data<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15890\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15890\" class=\"wp-image-15890\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202627\/DGA_2021.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202627\/DGA_2021.png 650w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/17202627\/DGA_2021-480x472.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 650px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15890\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cThis is a historical reconstruction of the glacier\u2019s changes since 1960. We can see how only the ice thickness changes, and the glacier\u2019s extent from 1960 to the present is clearly documented\u201d. &#8211; Jorge Berkhoff<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this context, a relevant question arises: <\/span><b>What monitoring techniques are used to evaluate the surface variation of the Mocho glacier, and how have they evolved over time? Marius <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explains: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(&#8230;) control points are installed on the glacier, and it shows how the surface varies in these control points. In relation to how it has been modified, for example, we have now started measuring the accumulation with radar, which we previously tried with stakes, and it\u2019s an improvement in my opinion. And together with the DGA, we have started to use <\/span><\/i><b><i>LIDAR<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is basically a radar but with light; it\u2019s a complementary method and a very expensive piece of equipment.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The thawing impact <\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Marius<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0tells us, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No major consequences have been observed regarding the thawing, nor the water supply. There isn\u2019t much data on the subject. We\u2019re in a zone with high precipitation, but we haven\u2019t studied the issue expensively. I would say that the effect here isn\u2019t as severe as in the Central zone.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Jorge <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">makes a comparison between <\/span><b>the touristic impact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of this thawing and what is happening with the <\/span><b><i>Exploradores<\/i><\/b><b> glacier: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Exploradores, there are people who live from the mountain activities. I believe there are eight companies, and 100 people go hiking there every day. The Mocho is completely different; there\u2019s only one person who carries out the climbs, with two or three others, only two or three times per week, and if they do it. Therefore, from a tourist point of view, it hasn\u2019t had much of an impact; <\/span><\/i><b><i>what has a real impact is the glacier\u2019s visual appearance<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and how it changes from one year to the next regarding frontal retreat. Unlike Exploradores, which has much better access, the Mocho has a much more significant elevation gain.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15958\" style=\"width: 2410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15958\" class=\"wp-image-15958\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191610\/IMG_7057-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191610\/IMG_7057-scaled.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191610\/IMG_7057-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191610\/IMG_7057-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21191610\/IMG_7057-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2400px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The challenges of science\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, science faces various crucial challenges in monitoring glaciers and understanding the phenomena associated with their thawing. With climate change in full swing, the necessity to understand and predict the consequences of the glacier retreat becomes more and more compelling. Scientists face the task of improving the precision of the prediction models of glacier thawing, as well as identifying and understanding new related phenomena, like the ice flow acceleration and the influence of local and global climate circumstances on the stability of glaciers<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One challenge for scientists, <\/span><b>Paul <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tells us, is what are known as <\/span><b>supraglacial lakes,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201care lakes that form around the glacier (&#8230;), and it\u2019s a very dynamic process, because sometimes we get there and they are there; other times they are not. It would be very interesting to know what is really happening there and what\u2019s going to happen in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These supraglacial water bodies on the glacial surface are increasing in number and size due to the accelerated thawing of glaciers induced by climate change. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding the dynamics of the formation, evolution, and behavior of supraglacial water bodies is essential for predicting the effects of the glacial thawing on the water supply and the risks associated with the sudden release of large volumes of water.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15945\" style=\"width: 2310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15945\" class=\"wp-image-15945\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21183933\/IMG_5856-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2300\" height=\"1534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21183933\/IMG_5856-scaled.jpg 2300w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21183933\/IMG_5856-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21183933\/IMG_5856-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21183933\/IMG_5856-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2300px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15945\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another important challenge facing science today is <\/span><b>understanding the complex relation between water and ice in the glaciers. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This challenge involves investigating how changes in temperature and pressure affect glacier melting and flow, as well as the interaction between meltwater and the internal structure of ice. <\/span><b>This is linked directly to the study of supraglacial lakes, Jorge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> explains to us: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These lakes can also affect the surrounding walls, and it\u2019s important to be able to project these lakes and understand their dynamics much better, <\/span><\/i><b><i>because it&#8217;s happening in the majority of Chile\u2019s glaciers, <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where lakes are forming at the front or supraglacial lakes are forming that alter the dynamics. I believe understanding the dynamics of these lakes is the next step for the Mocho glacier.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>We also emphasize the work that Paul is performing, that is, the measuring of scale water.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He explains to us: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere is plenty of glaciological knowledge in the zone, but very little hydrological knowledge, which makes sense on a national scale, because the water shortage is in the central Andes, and that\u2019s where there is a major focus for understanding the glaciers as natural water reservoirs. And what I really would like to understand is<\/span><\/i><b><i> the interaction between glaciers and hydrology in this southern zone<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and what I am doing in my thesis is to see when the glacier\u2019s maximum discharge occurs and relate it to the temperature\u2019s maximum. In other words, I\u2019m measuring the time lag between the maximum temperature and the river\u2019s peak discharge, which mirrors the solar radiation cycle.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15947\" style=\"width: 2310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15947\" class=\"wp-image-15947\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184256\/IMG_3807-min-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2300\" height=\"1534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184256\/IMG_3807-min-scaled.jpg 2300w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184256\/IMG_3807-min-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184256\/IMG_3807-min-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184256\/IMG_3807-min-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2300px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15947\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Outreach<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The role of science in outreach knowledge is essential for promoting public understanding, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">scientific literacy, and informed decision-making. Through different media and platforms, the scientists communicate their discoveries, theories, and advances in their respective fields, making scientific knowledge accessible to audiences of all ages and educational levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marius<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0explained to us this point and <\/span><b>how science works:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have to raise funds for science to work, and the currency is the scientific publications, so I can publish in journals or talk to decision-makers but that doesn\u2019t guarantee me scientific projects; so that is our core work, along with teaching. We do the rest because we enjoy it (&#8230;) so in that sense, the first responsibility of our knowledge is sharing information between colleagues, understanding what we are seeing well, and looking if someone is interested in it, to go and do science in some place, that\u2019s how science works.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15949\" style=\"width: 2310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15949\" class=\"wp-image-15949\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184833\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-4-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2300\" height=\"1725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184833\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-4-scaled.jpeg 2300w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184833\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-4-1280x960.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184833\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-4-980x735.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21184833\/Fines-de-marzo-2024-4-480x360.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2300px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15949\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mocho glacier \u2013 Photo by Romyna Monsalves<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now,<\/span> <b>what is the task of science? Marius <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mentions: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf the scientist\u2019s task is to contribute empirical data and diffusion, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) did that step<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 to seek dialogue with the decision makers<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 and it\u2019s pretty valued, and<\/span><\/i><b><i> we need to evaluate it in terms of how we do science.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Paul<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adds: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Marius was saying, the rest of the outreach is for the love of art (&#8230;) <\/span><\/i><b><i>I constantly give talks, creating really beautiful dialogues where people are more interested in studying glaciers, with a lot of questions. That interaction is personally so fulfilling. <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, in the end, we do it because we like this scientific outreach, because when people learn more about these things, they become much more interested in taking care of them. Therefore, the discussion is more closely linked to that, doing it for the love we have for this.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, the thawing of the Mocho glacier, even if it captures the attention with worrying headlines about the loss of millions of square kilometers of ice,<\/span><b> goes far beyond being only one stunning statistic<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This phenomenon raises deep and diverse concerns that not only affect the natural environment but also human life in its multiple dimensions. It\u2019s essential to recognize that glacier thawing has ramifications ranging from ecological to economic and social. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Marius <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thinks about it: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s important to understand that the glacier\u2019s topic is not local; it\u2019s completely global.<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We could stop using fossil fuels in Chile, and glaciers will still melt. Now, <\/span><\/i><b><i>what can we do to protect the glaciers? <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer is the same for everyone on the planet: <\/span><\/i><b><i>Stop using fossil fuels. It\u2019s that simple (&#8230;) <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we still have time, but we are on the edge (&#8230;) we know what the points of no return are for the climate system, and if we exceed those points, it can have terrible effects that are not so easily reversed.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15951\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15951\" class=\"wp-image-15951 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21185556\/core-summit2019-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21185556\/core-summit2019-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21185556\/core-summit2019-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21185556\/core-summit2019-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21185556\/core-summit2019-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2560px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15951\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Dr. Marius Schaefer<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The meticulous monitoring realized by experts allows us to understand the real scale of this thawing and its effects on water supply, biodiversity, water security, and other key aspects. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul concludes: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe need to understand that <\/span><\/i><b><i>we are in a crisis,<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and we need to do this for ourselves and for the new generations (&#8230;) Finally, <\/span><\/i><b><i>go to the mountain, to the glaciers; as we see this scenic<\/i><\/b> <b><i>beauty, feelings will grow, and we will want to create new changes.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Jorge <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tells us about how his life changed when he lived in Germany: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI had zero recycling habits, but my lifestyle changed when I arrived in Germany, because they forced me to recycle. I only use the bicycle, whether it\u2019s winter or summer, with rain or sun. I think it\u2019s hard to get used to, but you can adopt this lifestyle, which is even beneficial to your health, because you\u2019re constantly exercising, so <\/span><\/i><b><i>you get a win\/win situation changing your lifestyle, not only for the planet but also for yourself.\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15953\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15953\" class=\"wp-image-15953 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21190002\/IMG_2607-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21190002\/IMG_2607-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21190002\/IMG_2607-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21190002\/IMG_2607-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21190002\/IMG_2607-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2560px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15953\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mocho glacier \u2013 Photo by Paul Sandoval-Quilodr\u00e1n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>The reflections of Marius, Paul, and Jorge lead us to a clear and convincing conclusion: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The glacier\u2019s protection and climate change mitigation are shared responsibilities that require urgent and coordinated actions on a global level. Furthermore, they remind us that we all have a role to play in protecting our planet and that together we can make a difference. It\u2019s time to act with determination and commitment to face the challenges of climate change and preserve the glaciers and the environment for future generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Fundaci\u00f3n Glaciares Chilenos <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is deeply grateful for the work carried out by <\/span><b>Marius, Paul, and Jorge; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for their contribution and dedication to the study and monitoring of the Mocho glacier. Their hard work and commitment have been fundamental in enriching our understanding of glacier dynamics and the challenges these ecosystems face in the context of climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Bibliography<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dga.mop.gob.cl\/noticias\/Paginas\/DetalledeNoticias.aspx?item=732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ministry of Public Works (MOP) \u2013 General Directorate of Water (DGA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/glaciologia.cl\/glaciares\/zona-sur\/glaciar-mocho-choshuenco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glaciology Laboratory<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/21195515\/bibliografia-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bibliography: Used for the historical compilation of mass balance.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Featured Image:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mocho glacier, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Los R\u00edos <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Region. Dr. Marius Schaefer\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/glaciouach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@glaciouach<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the current situation, an alarming headline captured the media&#8217;s attention a few months ago: \u201c6,000 Olympic pools lost in the last year, the heartrending thawing of the Mocho glacier\u201d. However, beyond the shocking numbers, the inevitable question arises:\u00a0Is this phenomenon the biggest thawing of a glacier in Chile?\u00a0To answer this question, it\u2019s necessary to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":15962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow57LVCw:productID":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2797],"tags":[2636,2959,2681,3057],"coauthors":[3332],"class_list":["post-21311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-report","tag-climate-change","tag-dga-en-2","tag-glacier-en-2","tag-universidad-austral-de-chile-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21311"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21412,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21311\/revisions\/21412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21311"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=21311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}