Rapid decline in extratropical Andean snow cover driven by the poleward migration of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies.

Seasonal snow in the extratropical Andes is a primary water source for major rivers supplying water for drinking, agriculture, and hydroelectric power in Central Chile. Here, we used estimates from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to analyze changes in snow cover extent over the period 2001-2022 in a total of 18 watersheds spanning approximately 1,100 km across the Chilean Andes (27-36°S). We found that the annual snow cover extent is receding in the watersheds analyzed at an average pace of approximately 19% per decade.

Stable-isotope ratios (δ18O and δD) in a firn core from West Antarctica.

A 22.48 m long ice core (BR-IC-4) was collected in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (at 83°58'59.4" S, 80°07'01.

Ionic and stable isotopic content in two Antarctic firn cores under different environment settings.

This article compares isotopic, ionic and climatic data from two firn cores from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The IC-02 (88°01'21.3"S , 82°04'21.

Transient ice loss in the Patagonia Icefields during the 2015-2016 El Niño event.

The Patagonia Icefields (PIF) are the largest non-polar ice mass in the southern hemisphere. The icefields cover an area of approximately 16,500 km and are divided into the northern and southern icefields, which are ~ 4000 km and ~ 12,500 km, respectively. While both icefields have been losing mass rapidly, their responsiveness to various climate drivers, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, is not well understood.

Black carbon footprint of human presence in Antarctica.

Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica has likely increased as human presence in the continent has surged in recent decades. Here, we report on measurements of the BC concentration in snow samples from 28 sites across a transect of about 2,000 km from the northern tip of Antarctica (62°S) to the southern Ellsworth Mountains (79°S).