Melting Beauty:The Icefields of Patagonia

Forests, grasslands, deserts, and mountains are all part of the Patagonian landscape, which spans more than a million square kilometers of South America. Toward the western side, expanses of dense, compacted ice—the Patagonian icefields—stretch for hundreds of kilometers atop the Andes mountain range in Chile and Argentina.

The northern and southern lobes of the Patagonian icefield are what’s left of a much larger ice sheet that reached its maximum size about 18,000 years ago. Though just a fraction of their previous size, the modern icefields remain the largest expanse of ice in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica. But rapid change is ongoing. “They are, in fact, melting away at some of the highest rates on the planet,” said Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California-Irvine.

Meltwater from the Patagonian icefield contributes to sea level rise. The contribution is less than what will come from Greenland and Antarctica, but scientists plan to keep studying the region from space, from the air, and from the ground. According to Rignot: “Understanding the evolution of these glaciers helps us understand what glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica may look like in the future in a much warmer climate.”

The images below highlight this dynamic region. Click on the links for even more insight about each icefield and its glaciers.

Icefields

North Patagonian Icefield

The northern remnant is the smaller of the two icefields, covering about 4,000 square kilometers. It has 30 significant glaciers along its perimeter, including San Rafael and San QuintÍn. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the  U.S. Geological Survey

South Patagonian Icefield

The southern icefield spans about 13,000 square kilometers, more than three times larger than the northern section. Iceberg-choked fjords and glaciers that flow along the flank of an active volcano are just a few of the highlights. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the  U.S. Geological Survey.

Ice on the Move

Other Images of Patagonia

Glacial Retreat at a Non-glacial Pace

The HPS-12 glacier in Chile has lost about half of its length in three decades. NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the  U.S. Geological Survey .

Retreat of the Sierra de Sangra Glaciers

Ice loss in Patagonia has struck more than just the largest and most frequently studied ice fields. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the  U.S. Geological Survey.

Glaciar San QuintÍn, Chile

The largest outflow glacier in the Northern Patagonian Icefield appears to be shrinking.  Read more… NASA image from ISERV Pathfinder,  SERVIR program.

Southern Patagonia Ice Field

Straddling the southern Andes Mountains in Chile and Argentina, these glaciers have thinned significantly in the past four decades. Astronaut photograph  ISS038-E-47324  was acquired on February 13, 2014, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 65 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the  Expedition 38 crew.  It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The  International Space Station Program  supports the laboratory as part of the  ISS National Lab  to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC  Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Upsala Glacier Retreat

A photograph by an astronaut on the International Space Station shows a progressively shrinking glacier in the North Patagonian Icefield. Astronaut photograph  ISS037-E-5104  was acquired on October 2, 2013, with a Nikon D3 digital camera using a 300 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the  Expedition 37 crew.  It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The  International Space Station Program  supports the laboratory as part of the  ISS National Lab  to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC  Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

One of the most famous glaciers in Patagonia periodically cuts off the major southern arm of Lago Argentino. Astronaut photograph  ISS030-E-91253  was acquired on February 21, 2012, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera using a 180 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the  Expedition 30 crew.  It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The  International Space Station Program  supports the laboratory as part of the  ISS National Lab  to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC  Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Glacial Lakes of Patagonia

This natural-color image shows multicolored glacial lakes extending from Andean glaciers. The lakes extend primarily eastward across the high plain. NASA images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz,  MODIS Rapid Response Team  at NASA GSFC.

Upsala Glacier, Argentina

Upsala Glacier in the Southern Patagonian Icefield calves icebergs into Lake Argentina in this astronaut photo from October 25, 2009. Astronaut photograph  ISS021-E-15243  was acquired on October 25, 2009, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera fitted with a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the  Expedition 21 crew.  The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The  International Space Station Program  supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC  Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Glacier Outlet, Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile

This astronaut photograph shows the merged outlet of two glaciers within the deep fjords of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Astronaut photograph  ISS020-E-39083  was acquired on September 6, 2009, with a Nikon D3 digital camera fitted with an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the  Expedition 20 crew.  The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The  International Space Station Program  supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC  Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile

NASA Earth Observatory text by Kathryn Hansen and design by Jesse Allen.

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