Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile

Brenning, Alexander; Azócar, Guillermo F.; Iribarren Anacona, Pablo; Yoshikawa, Kenji; Casassa, Gino; Straub-Bustamante, Pedro; Fonseca-Gallardo, Duilio; Huenante, Jorge

doi:10.5194/tc-20-4681-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4681-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4681-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 8

Research article

|

24 Aug 2026

Research article |

| 24 Aug 2026

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile

Alexander Brenning, Guillermo F. Azócar, Pablo Iribarren Anacona, Kenji Yoshikawa, Gino Casassa, Pedro Straub-Bustamante, Duilio Fonseca-Gallardo, and Jorge Huenante

Data sets

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile (Datasets) G. Azócar et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19342541

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile (Maps) G. Azócar et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20045182

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile (Code and Data) A. Brenning and G. Azócar https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21499253

Model code and software

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile (Code and Data) A. Brenning and G. Azócar https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21499253

Short summary

We created the first empirically calibrated high-resolution map of mountain permafrost distribution in mainland Chile. Using field evidence from rock glaciers and boreholes with climate and terrain data, we found that more than 8000 km², mainly in the dry Andes of northern and central Chile, offer suitable conditions. Permafrost affects water resources, slope stability, and infrastructure, and our model provides a baseline for planning and future research under climate change.