Influence of Climate Factors on Huayhuash Glacier Cover Changes, 1988-2022, Ancash

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to explain the influence of precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration on the changes of the glacier cover of the Huayhuash snow-capped mountain during the period 1988-2022, Ancash. For this, a study of longitudinal explanatory level was carried out, since the period from 1988 to 2022 was analyzed. The applied technique was remote sensing and the use of the NDSI index (Normalized Differential Snow Index), for glacier recognition, bar fragmentation and manual editing were considered. The climatic information of precipitation (1988-2022), temperature and evapotranspiration (1988-2016) was acquired from the PISCO-SENAMHI gridded product. The results showed a decrease in glacier cover at a rate of 0.74 km2/year. The statistical analysis of ANOVA and regression showed that temperature is the only factor influencing changes in glacier cover, statistically speaking; precipitation and evapotranspiration are part of the glaciological balance system, but their influences are not significant in the surface changes of Huayhuash snow-capped mountain. Regarding climatic variability, it is evident that precipitation and evapotranspiration show very varied behaviors; however, temperature shows a homogeneous behavior.