Investigating glacial recession in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru using Landsat imagery
Research Mentor(s)
Sofield, Ruth M.
Description
The high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca in the Ancash region of Peru contain the highest concentration of tropical glaciers in the world. These glaciers function as an important water supply during the region’s winter season when precipitation is low. Climate change is accelerating the mass balance loss of these glaciers, and receding ice has exposed sulfide-rich geologic formations that influence the chemistry of glacial runoff. In an effort to predict future change, glacial recession in the Cordillera Blanca was analyzed through the analysis and classification of Landsat thematic mapper (TM) imagery acquired over a multi-year period. Snow and ice coverage was extracted from Landsat images through the implementation of a Normalized Differenced Snow Index (NDSI), which utilized the green (TM band 2) and short wave infrared (TM band 5) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, a water mask was created to reduce noise and misclassification associated with alpine streams and glacial lakes. The extent of snow and ice was calculated for each year to produce a linear regression and examine trends in coverage loss throughout the study period. Trends in glacial recession were then compared to water quality data from several valleys in the Cordillera Blanca that was gathered between the years of 2012-2016 on yearly research expeditions. This research could shed light on the implications of glacial recession and suggest a mechanism for declining water quality in the Ancash region of Peru.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
18-5-2017 9:00 AM
End Date
18-5-2017 12:00 PM
Department
Environmental Sciences
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Gleciers--Climatic factors--Peru--Blanca, Cordillera; Climatic changes--Peru--Blanca, Cordillera
Geographic Coverage
Blanca, Cordillera (Peru)--Environmental aspects
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Investigating glacial recession in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru using Landsat imagery
The high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca in the Ancash region of Peru contain the highest concentration of tropical glaciers in the world. These glaciers function as an important water supply during the region’s winter season when precipitation is low. Climate change is accelerating the mass balance loss of these glaciers, and receding ice has exposed sulfide-rich geologic formations that influence the chemistry of glacial runoff. In an effort to predict future change, glacial recession in the Cordillera Blanca was analyzed through the analysis and classification of Landsat thematic mapper (TM) imagery acquired over a multi-year period. Snow and ice coverage was extracted from Landsat images through the implementation of a Normalized Differenced Snow Index (NDSI), which utilized the green (TM band 2) and short wave infrared (TM band 5) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, a water mask was created to reduce noise and misclassification associated with alpine streams and glacial lakes. The extent of snow and ice was calculated for each year to produce a linear regression and examine trends in coverage loss throughout the study period. Trends in glacial recession were then compared to water quality data from several valleys in the Cordillera Blanca that was gathered between the years of 2012-2016 on yearly research expeditions. This research could shed light on the implications of glacial recession and suggest a mechanism for declining water quality in the Ancash region of Peru.