gua das
S a partir
)76-1979-
made in
of the
age was
ping the
multiple
w and
lapping
'nerated
or each
archers
\niya et
glaciers
ed until
| pattern
with
ofile of
sua das
s a partir
79-1986-
fjord on
tagonia
> north
ending northwest at coordinates 48°18'S and
73°27'W. With an area of 602km? in 1976 lost
63km? of total ice surface in the period 1976 -
1986 reaching 555km?. The data obtained from
the Landsat image of 2005 show a dramatic
reduction in the volume of the glacier after a
decrease of 10.060m reached a surface area of
198km°. Image data from 2009 show that an
increase of 8km? ice surface area increased
the total area of the glacier to 206km?, due
primarily to an advance of the tongue of 1,3km.
Brüggen Glacier: It is the only studied
glacieron the west side of the Southern
Patagonia Icefield and is among the highest
volume glaciers. Located at 49°10'S — 75?53"W
has its terminal part forked north toward the
lake Greve and south to the Eyre fjord. In recent
decades, it has shown a very unusual behavior
compared to other glaciers in the Southern
Patagonia Icefield, opposed the others it has
increased its area with a steady growth of the
tongue through the years. With an area of
approximately 1.604km? in 1976 was increased
its total area to 1.653km? after a breakthrough
of 800m in image 1986. The data show that the
tongue North increased 21km? in the period
1976-1986 while the tougue area south
maintained your area stable. The image of 2005
shows a decrease in the glacier total area of
148km?, but the tongue north continued to
grow about 550m. The pattem of growth
recorded by other authorsin the images
obtained in 2009 the glacier increased its
130kn? intotal area compared to 2005.
Adding in the period 1986-2009 a total advance
of approximately 18km?.
O'Higgins Glacier: Located in upper side of the
ice field at coordinates 48°54'S and 73°12°W,
ends in an arm of Lake O'Higgins, who on the
Argentine side is known as Lake St. Martin.
This glacier has shown a very large number
of recessions between 1945 and 1986, with a
total of 13,4km (327m/year) this value was
considered exceptionally large in Patagonia,
including the glaciers of the Northern Patagonia
Icefield (ANIY A, 1988). With a total area of
440km? in 1976 it had its area decreased to
376,9km? after a decline to 1.460m and a loss of
63,1km? in 1986. With lower indices of
decline since the decade of 90 the glacier has
reduced its total area to347km? in 2005,
reaching 329,2km? in 2009.
Upsala Glacier: Considered one of the largest
glaciers in South America, Upsala is located on
the east side of the ice field in the coordinates
49°51'S and 73°16'W.It had retreated constantly
until the decade of 60 (ANIYA, 1992), passing
at a decline rate of decline of 2.300m
(135m/year) during the period from 1969 to
1986, measured near the center of the glacier.
Values obtained for the glacier in this study
showed a surface area for the year 1979 of
1.596kn? and 1.447,4km? in 1986, declining
approximately 2.100m and a lost area of
148,6kn? area in the period 1979-1986.
Between the years 1986 and 2005 the loss was
377km? on the surface, to come in 2009 with a
total area of 917,4km?, reducing approximately
530km? in the period 1986-2009.
Moreno Glacier: Moreno is located in the
lower east side of the Southern Patagonia
Icefield in 50°29'S and 73°06'W, has
its forked tongue to the north and east flowing
toward an arm of Lake Argentino. Among the
studied glaciers Moreno was the one with the
lowest levels of area variation and tongue
movement. Data obtained from Landsat image
shows that to the glacier were about 538km?
area in 1979, with an increase of approximately
480m of the glacier tongue the total area was
increased to 557km? in 1986. Since the decade
of 90 to the glacier began to show a retraction
process very X expressive, with practically
stable behavior in 20 years. The values obtained
