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.
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.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 24 Aug 2026
| 24 Aug 2026
Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile
Alexander Brenning
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany
Guillermo F. Azócar
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Atacama Ambiente Consultores, Huechuraba, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Pablo Iribarren Anacona
Universidad Austral de Chile, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Valdivia, Chile
Kenji Yoshikawa
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Northern Engineering, Water and Environmental Research Center, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Atacama Ambiente Consultores, Huechuraba, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Gino Casassa
Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
Instituto Antártico Chileno, Punta Arenas, Chile
Pedro Straub-Bustamante
Atacama Ambiente Consultores, Huechuraba, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Duilio Fonseca-Gallardo
Atacama Ambiente Consultores, Huechuraba, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Jorge Huenante
Dirección General de Aguas, Santiago, Chile
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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.
We created the first empirically calibrated high-resolution map of mountain permafrost...
