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IMPACT OF THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN THE LOSS OF ICE AND GLACIERS
Organization(s):CEI San Ignacio - Fundación Cruzada Patagónica, Argentina
Country:Argentina
Student(s):Edgardo Omar Silva, Rosario del Carmen Cheuquepan, Jorge Nicolás Bustamante,
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Teacher:Diana Valeria Vera Bertoldi
Contributors:Ana Prieto
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Earth As a System, Precipitation
Presentation Poster:
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Optional Badges:I am a Collaborator, I work with a STEM Professional
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Date Submitted:04/10/2019
Abstract:
The loss of snow due to snowmelt is a serious problem worldwide that progresses year after year and is attributed to the global warming generated by the pollution caused by climate change. In our area, it directly affects the availability of water in ecosystems and productive systems, increasing the risk of fires.
The warming causes the melting affect the poles and in the mountains causes the loss of the thickness and extension of glaciers. Excess water generates floods due to sea level rise; shortage of fresh water and droughts and fires in areas dependent on melting in summer.
To analyze the loss of glaciers in the Patagonia region, Argentina, two sites were compared using Landsat 5 and 8 images corresponding to the years 2005 and 2017. The Landsat 8 images were validated with samplings in the terrain using the GLOBE Protocols. The NDVI, NDWI and NDSI indices were calculated using the QGIS software.
Ice loss was detected in both sites, which can produce an increase in drought, due to lower availability of water, particularly in the summer (which is the dry season and the melting of the available water resource)