Glacier dynamics monitoring of the Southern Patagonia Icefield using optical satellite images

Glaciers are key indicators of climate change worldwide. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the third-largest continental pack of ice in the world, and with an estimated total area of 13,000 km2, it is the largest freshwater reservoir in South America. Given the extent and inaccessibility of the study area, satellite remote sensing was identified as the most suitable method for analysing glacier surface displacement and velocity through the ESA's Sentinel-2 constellation. The results show a significant ice shift across the area, with velocity values reaching up to 2 m/day, especially in the ablation zones, in both East-West and North-South directions. A comprehensive analysis of seasonal trends between 2016 and 2024 was conducted for the glaciers of Viedma and Tyndall. The results display an increase in displacement velocity, up to 2.6 m/day, highlighting the seasonal trend of the velocities due to the temperature variations, also underscored by the ESA's ERA5 reanalysis climate dataset. Monitoring glacier dynamics is crucial for the comprehension of the impact of climate change on the environment, as it provides insights into the acceleration and movement of these ice masses. This method thus offers invaluable information about glacier shifts, allowing data collection in inaccessible and remote areas.