Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2257-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2257-2026
Research article
 | 
21 Apr 2026
Research article |  | 21 Apr 2026

Glacial decline next to stable permafrost in the Dry Andes? Vertical glacier surface changes and rock glacier kinematics based on Pléiades imagery (Rodeo basin, 2019–2025)

Melanie Stammler, Jan Blöthe, Diego Cusicanqui, Simon Ebert, Rainer Bell, Xavier Bodin, and Lothar Schrott

Related authors

12th International Conference on Permafrost in Whitehorse, Canada: early career researchers' insights and contributions
Verena Bischoff, Pia Petzold, and Melanie Stammler
Polarforschung, 94, 11–15, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-94-11-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-94-11-2026, 2026
Short summary

Cited articles

Al-Yaari, A., Condom, T., Junquas, C., Rabatel, A., Ramseyer, V., Sicart, J.-E., Masiokas, M., Cauvy-Fraunié, S., and Dangles, O.: Climate Variability and Glacier Evolution at Selected Sites Across the World: Past Trends and Future Projections, Earth's Future, 11, e2023EF003618, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003618, 2023. 
Arenson, L. U., Harrington, J. S., Koenig, C. E. M., and Wainstein, P. A.: Mountain Permafrost Hydrology–A Practical Review Following Studies from the Andes, Geosciences, 12, 48, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12020048, 2022. 
ASTRIUM: Pléiades Imagery User Guide, Technical Report, USRPHR-DT-125-SPOT-2.0, 1–106, 2012. 
Ayala, A., Pellicciotti, F., MacDonell, S., McPhee, J., Vivero, S., Campos, C., and Egli, P.: Modelling the hydrological response of debris-free and debris-covered glaciers to present climatic conditions in the semiarid Andes of central Chile, Hydrol. Process., 30, 4036–4058, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10971, 2016. 
Ayala, Á., Robson, B., Navarro, G., MacDonell, S., Kinnard, C., Vivero, S., Thomas, D., Moreno, F., Yáñez, E., Schaffer, N., Segovia, A., Pętlicki, M., Retamal, F., Schauwecker, S., and Casassa, G.: Monitoring the physical processes driving the mass loss of Tapado Glacier, Dry Andes of Chile, J. Glaciol., 71, e52, https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.24, 2025. 
Download
Short summary
Dry Andean (debris-covered) glaciers and rock glaciers are essential to river runoff by contributing meltwaters in this extremely arid area. We quantify surface lowering for 19 glaciers and 3 debris-covered glaciers, and unchanged velocities for 47 rock glaciers in a ground-truthed and Pléiades satellite imagery based integrative glacier-permafrost study on catchment-scale for 2019-2025. For this period, our findings indicate glacial decline next to permafrost stability.
Share