goodbye glacier

The Humboldt Glacier was not very large as it had been slowly melting for years. Photos show that its area was almost completely destroyed, from about 0.1 square kilometer. This loss reflects a larger picture of the retreat of tropical glaciers around the world, exacerbated by rising global temperatures.

A pair of images show the change in the glacier’s ice area between 2015 and 2024. The images were obtained using OLI (Operational Land Imager) on the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites. Both images show the region at the end of the dry season to minimize the impact of seasonal snow cover on the appearance of remaining ice.

The Disappearance of the Humboldt Glacier / Channel 24 Collage / Photo: Operational Land Imager/Landsat 9

The Humboldt Glacier has long been located high in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, a mountain range at the northern end of the South American Andes. In 2015, scientists estimated the area of ​​this glacier to be approximately 0.1 square kilometers (25 acres). By 2024, the ice area has shrunk by about a tenth.

Although there is no universally accepted criterion for the size of a glacier, scientists generally agree that an ice field of this size is stagnant. Too small to flow under the pressure of its own weight. By this definition, there are currently no glaciers in Venezuela.

Humboldt has been Venezuela’s last glacier since 2009, following the loss of other glaciers on neighboring peaks. Despite being close to the equator, the glacier has survived this long partly due to its height. Glaciers in the tropics form due to the cold and snowy climate prevailing at high altitudes.

The Humboldt Glacier was located at the foothills and slopes of Pico Humboldt, just below Pico Bolivar, the highest peak in the country. Topography may also have played a role in its relative longevity. Surrounded by extremely steep slopes, the Humboldt Ice Sheet was on a slightly gentler slope during past cold conditions where snow could accumulate and compact and turn into ice.

However, elevations and topography It wasn’t enough to keep the glacier alive forever.. Satellite and aerial images, ground observations, and historical sources show that the Humboldt Glacier has been shrinking for a long time. If In 1910 it covered 3 square kilometersIts area is currently approximately 0.01 square kilometers, making Venezuela the first post-glacial country in the Andes.

Glaciers in tropical regions show a similar response to warming.