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| Glaciar Upsala | |
|---|---|
| Name | Upsala Glacier |
| Location | Argentine Patagonia, Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) |
| Terminus | Lake Argentino |
| Status | retreating |
Glaciar Upsala is a large valley glacier located in southwestern Santa Cruz Province (Argentina), flowing into Lake Argentino within the Los Glaciares National Park region of Patagonia. The glacier is part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, drains from the ice field toward the eastern flanks of the Andes, and is situated near a network of notable glaciers including Perito Moreno Glacier, Viedma Glacier, and Spegazzini Glacier. Upsala has been a focal point for studies of glaciology, climate change, and the dynamics of tidewater and lacustrine-terminating glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Upsala is fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and descends from high Andean ice divides between Argentina and Chile toward Lake Argentino, forming one of the lake’s major ice fronts. The glacier’s drainage basin overlaps with catchments associated with Fitz Roy and the Paine Massif in a broader Patagonian topographic context. Characterized by a broad, braided ice tongue, moraines, and proglacial lakes, Upsala’s terminus alternates between grounded ice and calving fronts in a fjord-like arm of Lake Argentino. The surrounding geography includes the Lago Argentino basin, the Lago Viedma basin, and the steppe landscapes of Estancia systems in Patagonia. Nearby transport and research access points include the town of El Calafate and the Ruta Nacional 40 corridor.
The glacier’s name reflects historical links to European exploration and scientific expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when explorers, cartographers, and naturalists from nations such as Argentina, United Kingdom, Germany, and France mapped the region. Early survey efforts by institutions like the Servicio de Hidrografía Naval and international researchers from universities such as the University of Buenos Aires and University of Cambridge contributed to naming conventions and cartographic records. Scientific interest in the glacier intensified during campaigns by figures associated with polar and Andean glaciology, and governmental agencies including the Dirección de Turismo and regional authorities in Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) later promoted the glacier within the context of protected area designation for Los Glaciares National Park.
Upsala displays dynamic behavior typical of large outlet glaciers: flow driven by gravity and mediated by internal deformation, basal sliding, and the presence of subglacial hydrology. Research teams from institutions such as CONICET, National University of La Plata, and international collaborators from University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Copenhagen have documented ice velocity, mass balance, and calving rates using remote sensing platforms including Landsat, Sentinel-1, and aerial photogrammetry. Since the late 20th century, Upsala has experienced periods of accelerated retreat, frontal collapse events, and the formation and expansion of a proglacial lake, phenomena similarly observed at Piedmont Glacier systems and other Patagonian outlets. Comparative studies often reference the contrasting stability of Perito Moreno Glacier to illustrate differing terminus dynamics within the same ice field.
Climate-driven warming, changes in precipitation patterns linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability, and alterations in Southern Hemisphere westerlies have influenced Upsala’s mass balance. Monitoring conducted by research consortia involving Instituto Antártico Argentino, UNESCO programs, and university research groups leverages satellite altimetry from ICESat missions, laser scanning, and field glaciological campaigns. These efforts place Upsala within broader assessments by organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that evaluate cryosphere responses to anthropogenic forcing. Regional climate models from centers like Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera and global reanalysis products from ECMWF are used to project future glacier evolution and downstream impacts on Patagonian hydrology.
Upsala’s meltwater contributes substantially to the hydrology of Lake Argentino, affecting sediment transport, turbidity, and nutrient fluxes that influence aquatic ecosystems including populations of freshwater fish and endemic invertebrates studied by teams from CONICET and regional universities. Proglacial landscapes support specialized plant and bird communities linked to Los Glaciares National Park biodiversity inventories, with ornithological interest from groups such as Aves Argentinas. The glacier’s interactions with the lacustrine environment shape delta formation, foreland succession, and colonization by pioneering flora in a manner comparable to deglaciated zones in Alaska and Iceland.
Tourism operators based in El Calafate, regional transport services on Ruta Nacional 40, and tour boats on Lake Argentino provide access for visitors seeking views of Upsala and neighboring ice fronts, coordinated with park management under Administración de Parques Nacionales. Scientific field campaigns involve logistical support from local estancias and research stations affiliated with institutions like CONICET and national universities. The glacier has featured in outreach by museums such as the Glaciology and Environmental Documentation Center and media coverage by national broadcasters including Televisión Pública Argentina, contributing to public awareness and regional tourism economics tied to Patagonia’s ice attractions.
Conservation of the Upsala region is embedded within the protected area framework of Los Glaciares National Park, a site recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage property, with management responsibilities coordinated among provincial authorities in Santa Cruz Province (Argentina), the Administración de Parques Nacionales, and research bodies like Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Management strategies emphasize monitoring, regulated tourism, and scientific research permits to balance protection of glacial landscapes with socio-economic interests from El Calafate and regional communities. International collaborations and funding mechanisms, including partnerships with universities and climate programs, support long-term monitoring and adaptation planning consistent with global cryosphere conservation initiatives.
Category:Glaciers of Argentina Category:Los Glaciares National Park