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A chronology of the Little Ice Age in the tropical Andes of Bolivia (16°S) and its implications for climate reconstruction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Antoine Rabatel ,
Bernard Francou ,
Vincent Jomelli ,
Philippe Naveau  and
Delphine Grancher
Antoine Rabatel*
Affiliation:
CNRS, Edytem (UMR CNRS-Université de Savoie), Campus Universitaire, 73376 Le Bourget du Lac, France IRD, Great Ice (UR032 IRD), LGGE, 54 rue Molière, 38402 Saint Martin d’Hères, France
Bernard Francou
Affiliation:
IRD, Great Ice (UR032 IRD), Apartado postal 17 12 857 - Whymper 442 y Coruña, Quito, Ecuador
Vincent Jomelli
Affiliation:
CNRS, Great Ice (UR032 IRD), Maison des Sciences de l'Eau, Montpellier, France
Philippe Naveau
Affiliation:
CNRS, LSCE (UMR CNRS-CEA), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Delphine Grancher
Affiliation:
CNRS, LGP (UMR CNRS-Université de Meudon), Meudon, France
*
*Corresponding author. Laboratoire Edytem, CISM Université de Savoie. Campus scientifique, F-73376 Le Bourget du Lac. E-mail address:antoine.rabatel@univ-savoie.fr (A. Rabatel).
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Abstract

Dating moraines by lichenometry enabled us to reconstruct glacier recession in the Bolivian Andes since the Little Ice Age maximum. On the 15 proglacial margins studied, we identified a system of ten principal moraines that marks the successive positions of glaciers over the last four centuries. Moraines were dated by performing statistical analysis of lichen measurements based on the extreme values theory. Like glaciers in many mid-latitude mountain areas, Bolivian glaciers reached their maximal extent during the second half of the 17th century. This glacier maximum coincides with the Maunder minimum of solar irradiance. By reconstructing the equilibrium-line altitude and changes in mass-balance, we think the glacier maximum may be due to a 20 to 30% increase in precipitation and a 1.1 to 1.2 °C decrease in temperature compared with present conditions. In the early 18th century, glaciers started to retreat at varying rates until the late 19th to early 20th century; this trend was generally associated with decreasing accumulation rates. By contrast, glacier recession in the 20th century was mainly the consequence of an increase in temperature and humidity. These results are consistent with observations made in the study region based on other proxies.

Keywords

Little ice ageMorainesLichenometryGlacier fluctuationsClimate reconstructionTropical AndesBolivia
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 70 , Issue 2 , September 2008 , pp. 198 - 212
Copyright
University of Washington

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