All images and text © Kevin Moloney
Glaciologist Dr. Gino Casassa, of the University of Magallanes in Chile, and geologist Dr. Rolf Killian, of the University of Freiburg, drill holes at the top of a glacier in the Gran Campo Nevado ice field of southern Chile. Part of an interdisciplinary study by the universities of Freiburg and Heidelburg, the scientists study the rate of seasonal ice loss on the glacier, as well as pollen and mineral samples taken from cores drilled from area lake beds and peat bogs.
Six hours by boat from the nearest human settlement, the area is almost untouched by man. Its varied environment provides a unique opportunity to look at possible causes of global climate change.
Casassa rests his head in his hand at the foot of a glacier named "Lengua," or tongue. Comparing glacial patterns to vegetation changes in the area gives scientists a more complete picture of the region's climate over thousands of years. Researchers chose the Gran Campo Nevado site because it is a "climate divide." In a short distance there are many different climate zones, ranging from temperate rain forest to tundra. Small climate changes would be strongly evident in the pollens and sediments of nearby lake beds and bogs.
"In the world it's one of the unique places where you can find lots of unique information, where you can fill-in blank spaces on the map," Casassa says. "It's not only about looking at present day conditions, but into the past as well." Studying how climate has reacted in the past helps scientists understand changes that are occurring today.
Using steam, Casassa and Killian hurriedly drill into the ice of the Lengua glacier as snow begins to fall near the top of the Gran Campo Nevado ice field. The scientists planted plastic poles deep into the ice to measure movement of the glacier and ice loss through the summer season. Information gathered from weather stations posted around the area, when matched with data on the glacier's size, will add insight into why the glaciers of the Gran Campo Nevado are stable. Others in the region are rapidly receding.
Casassa pauses on the edge of the Lengua glacier as rain begins to fall. The Gran Campo Nevado is one of the earth's wettest environments. Massive amounts of precipitation offset higher temperatures that may be melting other glaciers in the region. "Temperature is less important when you have some 20 meters of snow fall per year," Killian says.
All images and text © Kevin Moloney
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