INTRODUCTION:

Tropical glaciers are highly sensitive to alterations in climate and therefore good indicators for global climate change. As they represent large fresh water
reservoirs, their monitoring is extraordinarily important. The glaciers located in Peru, which represent 71% of all tropical glacier areas in the world (Kaser and
Osmaston, 2002), show a significant area reduction mainly due to the increase in surface temperature. For example, in the Santa River basin in 1970, glacier
coverage was 613 km and decreased until 2003 to 527.62 km (ANA,2013). The Quelccaya ice cap (Cusco and Puno) retreated from 57.5 km in 1962 to 42.8 km
in 2009 (Salzmann et al., 2013).
REFERENCES:
ANA, Autoridad Nacional del Agua, (2013), Inventario Nacional de Glaciares y Lagunas.
Brecher, Henry H.; Thompson, Lonnie G. (1993),Measurement of the retreat of Qori Kalis glacier in the tropical Andes of Peru by
terrestrial photogrammetry
Kaser, G., & Osmaston, H. (Eds.). (2002). Tropical glaciers. Cambridge University Press
PACC, (2010) Programa de Adaptacin al Cambio climtico Boletin informativo.
PNUD PERU, (2014) Informe sobre desarrollo humano Peru 2013, Cambio climtico y territorio: Desafos y respuestas para un
futuro sostenible
Salzmann, N., Huggel, C., Rohrer, M., Silverio, W., Mark, B. G., Burns, P., & Portocarrero, C. (2013). Glacier changes and climate
trends derived from multiple sources in the data scarce Cordillera Vilcanota region, southern Peruvian Andes. Cryosphere, 7(1).
UNEP , (2009), Global Glacier Changes: facts and figures.
Vuille, M., (2013). El Cambio Climtico y los Recursos Hdricos en los Andes Tropicales. 181.65.172.167, banco interamericano de
desarrollo BID nota tcnica.
Figure 1: Global distribution of tropical glaciers
Macro regiones Glaciares
Figure 3: Qori Kalis glacier recession
1978 2000 2009
Situation of glaciers in Cusco
The Cusco region holds 25% of the ice area of the country (Cordillera
Vilcanota, Vilcabamba and Urubamba). Since the 1970's the glaciers
lost on average 30% of its area. Between 1963 1983, Qori Kalis
glacier of Quelccaya, the worlds largest tropical glacier, the rate of
retreat was nearly three times as fast between 1983 and 1991 as
between 19963 and 1978, and the rate of volume loss was over
seven times as great and a lake formed at its terminus (Figure 3).
PACC 2010, Vuille M. 2007,
Research in Cusco
In the UNSAAC (National University of San Antonio Abad at Cusco) two research projects were approved
recently :
Glacier mass balance in the Cordillera Vilcanota and Water Resources, Glaciers and climate indicators
in the upstream of the Vilcanota river: Sibinacocha lake and Quisoquipia glacier,
which are being financed by research funds from the gas canon assigned to UNSAAC. They are conducted
in collaboration with specialists of National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Peru (SENAMHI),
Peruvian Geophysical Institute (IGP) and the University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland, who provide the
scientific support to these important research projects, in order to better understand the behavior of
glaciers and water resources in the Cusco region - Peru. Exploratory excursion with partners: UNSAAC,
SENAMHI and UZH, July 2013.(Figure 5).
Methodology
The research project includes the analysis of glacier dynamics,
the application and creation of glaciers models, hydro-glaciology
and climate models, as well as climate scenarios, multi-temporal
analysis by geodesic methodology, risk evaluation, geology and
hydrogeology investigations. The project will provide new
information in the Cordillera Vilcanota and will at the same time
also strengthen the development of research at the National
University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco, by collaborating with
different partners.
Nilton Montoya
1,7
, Nicols Macedo
2
, Wilson Suarez
3
, Claudia Giraldez
4
, Fabian Drenkhan
4
, Simone Schauwecker
4
,
Holger Frey
4
, Waldo Lavado
3,6
, Jhan Carlo Espinosa
5,6
Glaciers as water resources and climate indicators: New research projects in glaciology,
hydrology and climatology in the Cordillera Vilcanota
1
Department of Agriculture, National University of San Antonio Abad at Cusco, Cusco, Peru ,
2
Department of Geology, National University
of San Antonio Abad at Cusco, Cusco, Peru,
3
National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Peru, Senamhi, Lima, Peru,
4
Geography
Department, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,
5
Peruvian Geophysical Institute - IGP, Lima, Peru,
6
La Molina National Agrarian
University, Lima, Peru.
7
University and Region Research Institute (IIUR - UNSAAC), Cusco, Peru.
Figure 2: Glacier retreat since 1970
Global distribution of tropical glaciers, including a spatial
distribution by country (Colombia: 108.5 km,Venezuela: 2.7km,
Ecuador: 112.8 km, Peru: 1972 km y Bolivia: 562 km), and
tropical lines from the glaciological perspective, where it can be
seen that over 99% of the areas of tropical glaciers are located in
South America and more than 71% in the Cordilleras of Peru with
an area of 1972 km
2
(Source: Kaser and Osmaston 2002).

Glacier retreat since 1970, the blue circle represents the glacier area in 1970, while the
red circle represents the area in the current decade. During the last 40 years, great
glacier mass changes have occurred including retreat, fragmentation and vanishing.
Peru indicates one of the highest rates of glacier retreat on the planet, with a
decreased glacier area in the Cordillera Blanca (Ancash) by 33%, in Coropuna
(Arequipa) by 50% and Salkantay (Cusco) by28% since 1970. (PNUD 2014).

Figure 4: Study area
UNSAAC
Contact:
Nilton Montoya Jara: nilt7@yahoo.es
Ausangate
Sibinacocha
Lake
Quelccaya
Quisoquipia
glacier
Pictures: Lonnie Thompson
Figure 5: Excursion to study area