Response of Southern Andes Glacier Surface Mass Balance and Ice Flow to Recent Changes in the Extra-Tropical Atmospheric Circulation

• Applicant: Dr. Lukas Langhamer
• Subject Area: Physical Geography
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 574948149

The atmospheric drivers of surface mass balance (SMB) and ice-dynamic variability in the Southern Andes glaciers remain poorly understood. However, they are known to cause considerable uncertainty in current and future mass balance estimates. The goal of this project is to explore how SMB and ice flow respond to large-scale atmospheric forcing. Specifically, the study will pursue three interrelated objectives: (1) to detect multi-scale trends and shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns that govern the transport of energy and moisture across southern South America; (2) to quantify how the local climate conditions impact the behaviour of glaciers in the Southern Andes; and (3) to assess how glacier SMB and ice flow respond to atmospheric variability. The hypothesis is that a pronounced transition zone exists over the Patagonian icefields, separating regions with contrasting SMB patterns and flow dynamics. This transition results from the position and intensity of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies and their associated storm tracks. The project will use state-of-the-art methods and SMB model results provided by project collaborators, as well as open, accessible, remote-sensing-based ice-flow velocity data, to explore the rapid glacier retreat in the Southern Andes. Linking local trends to atmospheric variability will enable more accurate predictions of the glaciers' response to global climate change.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Dr. Johannes Fürst; Professor Dr. Tobias Sauter