Glacier Day: from Geophysics UdeC they investigate changes in ice and their impact on the climate.

Tomorrow, Saturday, the World Glacier Day is commemorated worldwide, a date established in 2022 by the United Nations, which set March 21 as a day to highlight the value of these natural reserves. The choice of this day coincides with the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and it also establishes a link with World Water Day, celebrated on March 22, thus emphasizing the relationship between glaciers and the world's water resources. In the case of Chile, it holds nearly 80% of the glaciers in South America, many of which are located in Patagonia, one of the areas with the largest glacial surface in the Southern Hemisphere, excluding Antarctica.

In this national context, scientific research from the Department of Geophysics at the University of Concepción has focused on understanding the processes that explain their retreat and the associated consequences. One of the main lines of work in this area is developed by academic Ilaria Tabone, who participates in international studies on glacial dynamics, modeling, and data analysis regarding their processes. Part of the research focuses on improving how models represent the behavior of glaciers.

In one of her recent works, a numerical tool is proposed that allows for more accurate simulation of ice calving at the glacier front, a process known as "calving," which is one of the main mechanisms of mass loss in glaciers that terminate in the sea or in lakes. These processes occur in Chilean Patagonia. Another line in which Tabone participates addresses the response of large ice masses to temperature changes.

In a study on Greenland, climate scenarios are analyzed, and temperature ranges are identified in which the glacial system can transition to states with lower ice volume. These results allow for the evaluation of projections of the climate system and its impact on sea level. Tabone also participates in the development of QFuego-Patagonia, an open-access geospatial database that gathers information on glaciers in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

The platform includes data from disciplines such as glaciology, atmosphere, and terrain models, and allows for the analysis of changes in the extent, volume, and dynamics of glaciers, in addition to supporting studies on natural hazards. In the framework of Glacier Day, this type of study provides background on the current state of these ice masses and their recent evolution, in a context of global glacier retreat and increasing importance for the availability of freshwater and climate dynamics.