Articles | Volume 19, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-685-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-685-2025
Research article
 | 
12 Feb 2025
Research article |  | 12 Feb 2025

Physically based modelling of glacier evolution under climate change in the tropical Andes

Jonathan D. Mackay, Nicholas E. Barrand, David M. Hannah, Emily Potter, Nilton Montoya, and Wouter Buytaert

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Cited articles

Aguayo, R., Maussion, F., Schuster, L., Schaefer, M., Caro, A., Schmitt, P., Mackay, J., Ultee, L., Leon-Muñoz, J., and Aguayo, M.: Unravelling the sources of uncertainty in glacier runoff projections in the Patagonian Andes (40–56° S), The Cryosphere, 18, 5383–5406, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5383-2024, 2024. 
Amaranto, A., Pianosi, F., Solomatine, D., Corzo, G., and Muñoz-Arriola, F.: Sensitivity analysis of data-driven groundwater forecasts to hydroclimatic controls in irrigated croplands, J. Hydrol., 587, 124957, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124957, 2020. 
Bahr, D. B., Pfeffer, W. T., and Kaser, G.: A review of volume-area scaling of glaciers, Rev. Geophys., 53, 95–140, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014RG000470, 2015. 
Best, M. J., Pryor, M., Clark, D. B., Rooney, G. G., Essery, R. L. H., Ménard, C. B., Edwards, J. M., Hendry, M. A., Porson, A., Gedney, N., Mercado, L. M., Sitch, S., Blyth, E., Boucher, O., Cox, P. M., Grimmond, C. S. B., and Harding, R. J.: The Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES), model description – Part 1: Energy and water fluxes, Geosci. Model Dev., 4, 677–699, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-4-677-2011, 2011. 
Bratley, P. and Fox, B. L.: Algorithm 659, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 14, 88–100, https://doi.org/10.1145/42288.214372, 1988. 
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Short summary
We combine two globally capable glacier evolution models to include processes that are typically neglected but thought to control tropical glacier retreat (e.g. sublimation). We apply the model to Peru's Vilcanota-Urubamba Basin. The model captures observed glacier mass changes,but struggles with surface albedo dynamics. Projections show glacier mass shrinking to 17 % or 6 % of 2000 levels by 2100 under moderate- and high-emission scenarios, respectively.
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