Effects of climate anomalies on the snow cover of the Peruvian Central glaciers
Abstract
The study aims to identify the effects of climate anomalies on the snow cover of the Peruvian Central glaciers. For the development of this research, the Standardized Precipitation Index of climatic anomalies was used for the analysis; the Fast Fourier Transform for climate variability identification; and Landsat satellite images for geoprocessing. The results showed four negative anomalies corresponding to the years 1991 (extremely dry) and 1986, 2005, 2009 (very dry) along with three positive anomalies corresponding to the years 1985, 2010 (extremely rainy), and 1966 (very rainy); that influenced the loss and accumulation of the Huaytapallana glacier snow cover. In the Pariaqaqa glacier, three negative anomalies in 1991 (extremely dry); 1990, 2013 (very dry) were found, and four positive anomalies in 1972, 2010 (extremely rainy); and 1966, 2011 (very rainy); that positively influenced the accumulation of snow cover. As a conclusion, the net loss corresponds to 5 km2 in the Huaytapallana glacier and 7 km2 in the glacier of Pariaqaqa. The snow cover expansion that occurred in both glaciers in the hydrological cycles of 2010, 2011 and 2012 is due to increases of rainfall intensities registered during those years as a result of changes in the atmospheric circulation patterns by the effect of El Niño - Southern Oscillation.
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