WORKING GROUP ON ANDEAN GLACIERS

Head of the Working Group:

Gino Casassa, Ph.D., Centro de Estudios Científicos de Valdivia, Chile

Deputy Head:

Andrés Rivera, Ph.D, Centro de Estudios Científicos de Valdivia and Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Main purpose

We propose a Working Group on Andean Glaciers with the main goal of highlighting the advances and understanding related to mass balance and glacier changes of Andean glaciers of South America and bringing these findings to international recognition. Our effort will foster cooperative scientific efforts in South America and help to tie these efforts with international programs currently underway and new programs in the future. Our working group follows from the ICSI-sponsored symposium on "Glaciers of the Southern Hemisphere", held in Melbourne, Australia in July 1997.

The following topics related to mass balance of Andean glaciers are to be addressed:

1) Mass balance measurement techniques

2) Mass balance monitoring programs

3) Recent glacier variations and their relation with climate

3) Glacio-hydrological studies and the relation with glacier mass balance

The tasks of the Working Group are to:

1) Organize an International Symposium on Andean Glaciers, publishing the resulting papers in an international journal

2) Prepare an electronic newsletter related to Andean Glaciers to be distributed once a year among interested scientists and agencies

3) Maintain a list of active scientists and organizations from South America and abroad who currently deal with Andean glaciers

Although no funding for research is available through the Working Group, IUGG will provide limited funding for organizing the Working Group meetings and publication of papers. Close ties are envisioned with other organizations such as the International Glaciological Society (IGS) and World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS).