Recent tropical Andean glacier retreat is unprecedented in the Holocene.
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| Title: | Recent tropical Andean glacier retreat is unprecedented in the Holocene. |
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| Authors: | Gorin, Andrew L., Shakun, Jeremy D., Jones, Andrew G., Kennedy, Tori M., Marcott, Shaun A., Goehring, Brent M., Zoet, Lucas K., Jomelli, Vincent, Bromley, Gordon R. M., Mateo, Emilio I., Mark, Bryan G., Rodbell, Donald T., Gilbert, Adrien, Caffee, Marc W. |
| Source: | Science (pre-March 2025). 8/2/2024, Vol. 385 Issue 6708, p517-521. 4p. 2 Diagrams. |
| Subjects: | Holocene Epoch, Glaciers, Bedrock, Nuclides, Alpine glaciers |
| Geographic Terms: | Andes |
| Abstract: | Tropical glaciers have retreated over recent decades, but whether the magnitude of this retreat exceeds the bounds of Holocene fluctuations is unclear. We measured cosmogenic beryllium-10 and carbon-14 concentrations in recently exposed bedrock at the margin of four glaciers spanning the tropical Andes to reconstruct their past extents relative to today. Nuclide concentrations are near zero in almost all samples, suggesting that these locations were never exposed during the Holocene. Our data imply that many glaciers in the tropics are probably now smaller than they have been in at least 11,700 years, making the tropics the first large region where this milestone has been documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Tropical glaciers have retreated over recent decades, but whether the magnitude of this retreat exceeds the bounds of Holocene fluctuations is unclear. We measured cosmogenic beryllium-10 and carbon-14 concentrations in recently exposed bedrock at the margin of four glaciers spanning the tropical Andes to reconstruct their past extents relative to today. Nuclide concentrations are near zero in almost all samples, suggesting that these locations were never exposed during the Holocene. Our data imply that many glaciers in the tropics are probably now smaller than they have been in at least 11,700 years, making the tropics the first large region where this milestone has been documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.adg7546 |
