面向对象的极高海拔区水体及冰川信息提取——以珠穆朗玛峰国家级自然保护区核心区为例

极高海拔地区多为河流发源、冰川发育地,由于地形起伏强烈,且野外考察验证工作困难,传统的遥感信息提取方法很难保证该地区水体及冰川的提取精度。本文基于ASTER影像,运用面向对象的图像信息自动分析方法,对珠穆朗玛峰国家级自然保护区核心区的水体及冰川信息进行了提取研究。为保证信息提取的准确度,将数字高程模型(DEM)及其衍生数据(坡度、坡向),归一化植被指数(NDVI)数据,及有助于区分水体、冰川与其他地物的相关指数(冰雪指数NDSII)及波段运算结果(b1-b3)、(b3/b4)等,分别作为一个波段叠加到原始图像中,使之成为对目标地物光谱特征的有益补充。并对不同类型的水体及冰川进行多级、多尺度分割,以满足其对分割尺度的不同要求。分割完成后,综合考虑目标地物的光谱特征、纹理特征、空间结构特征,根据各特征指数的直方图信息,设定合适的阈值,建立了各水体及冰川类型信息提取的知识规则,并结合实地调查对信息提取的精度进行验证,改进了ASTER遥感影像自动快速提取极高海拔区水体及冰川信息的实用模型。     

Sentinel-1 SAR在洪水范围提取与极化分析中的应用研究

在洪水灾情监测中,快速准确的获取淹没区域和洪灾面积,对防汛救灾和灾后重建工作具有重要价值。本文以2017年美国圣路易斯洪水为例,基于Sentinel-1 SAR数据,利用变化检测和阈值相结合的方法实现大范围洪水淹没提取,将VV/VH极化数据分别与从同期Sentinel-2光学影像中获取的洪水淹没范围进行比较,评定极化方式的洪水适用性优劣程度。不同的SAR极化数据对洪水监测的适用性不同,通过绘制各极化不同时期的后向散射横断面线来分析多极化中的散射响应特征。研究表明：Sentinel-1 VV/VH极化数据均能以超过82%的高精度识别出洪水,VV极化洪水提取时产生的误判更少;在同样的区域,相较于VH,Sentinel-1 VV极化信号的散射程度小了约28%,在洪水中的信息敏感,更适用于洪水灾害的淹没范围监测。     

青藏高原冰川变化遥感监测研究综述

在全球变暖影响下,青藏高原冰川消融造成的冰川径流增大、冰湖溃决等问题威胁着山区及其周边居民的生命财产安全,对青藏高原冰川变化的研究日益紧迫。本文综述了国内外山地冰川变化遥感监测手段的发展、冰川面积及冰面高程变化的遥感监测研究现状、存在问题与发展趋势,并总结了中国青藏高原冰川变化遥感监测研究的主要成果。此外,本文基于2003-2009年ICESat/GLAS数据,计算了青藏高原各山区冰面高程变化及其冰川消融量。结果显示：青藏高原冰川面积持续减少,青藏高原冰面高程的平均变化为-0.24±0.03 m/a,冰川融水量为-14.86±11.88 km³/a,冰川变化呈现从青藏高原东、南外缘山区往内陆与西、北部山区减慢的时空特征。     

1970-2016年青藏高原岗扎日冰川变化与物质平衡遥感监测研究

可可西里处于青藏高原腹地,是青藏高原自然环境的交接与过渡地带。近年来该区域冰川物质平衡可能有从西向东由正转负的趋势,但是其过渡地带岗扎日地区冰川状态未知。本研究利用地形图、SRTM、ASTER和Landsat等资料分析了岗扎日地区冰川面积变化和物质平衡变化,并对可可西里地区冰川变化空间规律进行了探讨,结果表明：①1970-2016年岗扎日冰川总面积年均缩小率为0.08±0.02%。2006年后冰川退缩趋势减缓。②1970-2012年岗扎日冰川平均减薄-8.64±0.30 m,体积减少1.45±0.06 km³,平均物质平衡为-0.21±0.01 m w.e. a^-1。冰川物质平衡趋势由负转正（1970-1999年：-0.34±0.01 m w.e. a^-1;1999-2012：0.16±0.02 w.e. a^-1）。③东南、南、西南朝向作为迎风坡,1970年以来其冰川物质亏损较小,1999-2012年呈现强烈的正平衡。冰川面积变化滞后于物质平衡变化,东朝向和东南朝向冰川面积缩小率最大,主要是因为冰川冰舌较长,末端所处的海拔较低。④气温升高是岗扎日冰川1970-1999年呈现负物质平衡状态的主因,降水增多是1999-2012年正平衡状态的主因。⑤可可西里地区冰川1970s以来面积年均缩小率从西向东不断增大、物质平衡下降,与西风环流和季风环流相关,但局地气候也影响冰川变化和物质平衡。     

基于Sentinel-1A数据反演2015年新疆皮山MW6.5地震断层滑动分布

使用Sentinel-1A卫星观测的2015年新疆皮山地震震前震后一对SAR影像,提取该地震的同震形变场。结合Okada位错模型,在考虑渐变入射角和解缠基准偏差的情况下,反演本次地震的断层滑动分布。结果表明,皮山地震是小倾角逆冲型地震,断层破裂开始于地表以下约5 km处,最大滑动量为0.76 m,高滑区集中于深度9～14 km,累计释放地震矩达5.14×10¹⁸,相当于矩阵级M_W6.47。     

基于GEE云平台的福建省10 m分辨率茶园专题空间分布制图

福建省作为中国的产茶大省,快速准确获取茶园的空间分布对福建省农业经济发展和生态环境保护具有重要的决策意义,然而,传统的方法难以保证大范围准确地获取茶园空间分布。本文基于GEE云平台,快速获取覆盖福建省的Sentinel-1雷达影像、Sentinel-2光学影像及地形数据,从中提取光谱特征、纹理特征、地形特征等98个特征,利用递归消除支持向量机算法（SVM_RFE）对特征变量进行筛选,通过支持向量机分类器（SVM）进行茶园提取,首次得到福建省2019年10 m分辨率茶园种植区空间分布图。结果表明：① 光谱特征在茶园信息提取中占据重要地位,纹理特征和地形特征次之;② 利用SVM_RFE可以有效筛选出最有利于茶园提取的特征子集,有效提高提取精度,总体精度为94.65%,Kappa系数为0.93,茶园的生产者精度为91.64%,用户精度为92.91%;③ 基于Sentinel-1及Sentinel-2影像获取的福建省2019年茶园种植面积为1913 km²,主要分布在安溪县、福鼎市、福安市、武夷山市和寿宁县,其茶园总面积达910 km²,约占据全省茶园面积的48%。利用云计算技术可以克服大尺度茶园监测运算能力不足的问题,结合Sentinel-1和Sentinel-2影像能够较准确地提取福建省茶园分布,对南方丘陵山区茶园及其他作物提取具有参考价值,并为政府及有关部门进行茶园管理提供支持。     

1972-2017年南阿尔泰山中部冰湖变化特征及其对气候变化的响应

以1972、1989、1996、2006、2017年5个不同时段的Landsat MSS/TM/ETM+/OLI遥感影像数据、数字高程模型（DEM）数据和气象数据为数据源,通过计算机自动提取与人工目视解译相结合的方法获取南阿尔泰山中部地区各时段的冰湖信息,利用GIS空间分析方法对该地区的冰湖面积进行统计,并分析研究区冰湖在不同规模、不同坡度、不同海拔状态下的时空变化特征。结果表明:①近45年来南阿尔泰山中部地区的冰湖面积呈"先减后增"趋势。1972-1996年研究区的冰湖面积从411.14 km2减少至400.83 km2,共减少了10.31 km2,减少速率为0.43 km2/a。从1996-2017年冰湖面积增加了15.42 km2;增长率为0.514 km2/a。②研究区冰湖分布主要集中在海拔低于2 200 m、坡度小于25°的区域,不同海拔区间和不同坡度区间的冰湖面积均呈"先减后增"趋势。③结合气温、降水、冰川面积以及冰储量变化数据分析发现,南阿尔泰山中部地区冰湖对气候变化具有明显的响应。温度、降水量及冰川融水是影响冰湖面积变化的主要因素;且这三者之间存在一种平衡关系,即温度升高冰川消融速度加快,从而对冰湖的收支平衡产生直接影响。当冰湖的补给量（即冰川融水和降水量之和）大于由温度升高引起的蒸发量时,冰湖面积会呈增长趋势;反之亦然。1970-1980年整个阿勒泰地区年代际降水量减少了19.28 mm,温度上升了0.25℃,因此1972-1989年研究区冰湖的蒸发水量大于补给水量,导致该时段冰湖面积呈退缩态势。1989-1996年该区降水量增加了19.67%,温度升高了0.62℃,但是增加的降水量却无法弥补由温度升高引起的冰湖蒸发量,因此1989-1996年研究区冰湖面积仍处于退缩状态。1996-2017年由于温度和降水量大幅增加导致冰湖面积呈不断增长趋势。      

基于“DEM-NDVI-土地覆盖分类”的天山博格达自然遗产地山地垂直带提取与变化分析

本文基于Landsat影像数据获取天山博格达自然遗产地土地覆盖分类,结合归一化植被指数（NDVI）和数字高程模型（DEM）构建“DEM-NDVI-土地覆盖分类”散点图分析研究区植被受海拔和坡向的水热空间变化影响的分布特征,通过概率统计分析提取博格达遗产地山地垂直带,并结合研究区的气温、降水数据和NDVI变化特征分析垂直带变化的原因。研究结果表明：① 本文利用“DEM-NDVI-土地覆盖分类”散点图,揭示了研究区1989年和2016年的NDVI值和分类类别随着海拔上升的变化特征,其中NDVI值随着海拔上升呈现“倒U形”变化,而不同分类类别在一定的海拔区间内呈现出聚集效应,且不同分类类别有明显的高程界限。② 1989年和2016年博格达遗产地山地垂直带分带上限分别为：1278 m和1185 m（温带荒漠草原带）、1784 m和1759 m（山地草原带）、2706 m和2730 m（山地针叶林带）、3272 m和3293 m（高山草甸带）、3636 m和3690 m（高山垫状植被带）。③ 博格达遗产地1989年和2016年山地垂直带受区域气温升高和降雨增加的影响有较为明显的改变,其中温带荒漠草原带最为敏感,其上限变化最大,向下收缩93 m;山地针叶林带的分布范围则向两侧扩张49 m;山地草甸带带宽基本保持不变,但整体上移了约20 m;冰雪带则受到全球气候变暖的影响向上退缩54 m。     

近20 a来玛纳斯河流域南山冰雪动态变化特征分析

利用1990-2010年的TM影像和DEM数据,通过面向对象的分类方法提取了玛纳斯河流域南山4个时期的冰雪分布信息,并结合近20 a（1987-2007年）的气温资料对研究区冰雪时空分布特征和变化原因进行了研究。结果表明：（1）1990-2010年间,研究区冰雪面积从1442.32 km²退缩到710.54 km²,面积减少了50.7%。（2）1990-2010年间,冰雪变化主要呈现退缩的态势,尤其在海拔4000 m以下,面积减少更为剧烈,在海拔4000 m以上相对平缓。这种现象在研究区东区表现的更为明显,西区相对较小。（3）自1987年以来,气温的升高是冰雪面积不断退缩的主要原因之一。     

基于面向对象方法的Sentinel-1A SAR在洪水监测 中的应用

开展Sentinel-1A SAR数据在洪水淹没范围提取和水体变化监测方面的应用研究,对科学有效地管理洪涝灾害有重要意义。合成孔径雷达以其不受天气影响、能穿透云层、覆盖面积广等特点成为灾害监测的重要数据来源。面向对象的方法能有效解决影像的椒盐现象被广泛运用于信息提取研究。本文基于Sentinel-1A SAR数据,利用面向对象的方法构建洪水淹没范围提取流程,绘制灾前、灾中、灾后水体变化监测图,对比分析基于传统像元的提取方法,实现对广西临桂会仙岩溶湿地区域不同时期洪水动态监测。研究表明,Sentinel-1A SAR数据在洪水监测领域有巨大的应用潜力,相较于传统基于像元的方法,面向对象的方法能有效抑制杂斑生成,提高空间信息的利用效率,具有更好的提取精度。     

Significance of glacio-morphological factors in glacier retreat: a case study of part of Chenab basin,Himalaya

A study has been carried out in part of Chenab basin,Himalaya to understand the relationship between glacio-morphological factors and change in glacial area. Initially change in areal extent of glaciers was derived for two time frames(1962-2001/02 and 2001/02-2010/11). The study comprised of 324 glaciers for the monitoring period of 1962-2001/02 for,which 11% loss in glacial area was observed. Two hundred and thirty-eight glaciers were further monitored between 2001/02 and 2010/11. These glaciers showed an area loss of 1.1%. The annual deglaciation has been found to be higher during the period of 1962-2001/02 compared to 2001/02-2010/11. The spatial and temporal variability in deglaciation was also addressed usingglacio-morphic parameters. Area,length,percentage of debris cover,and various elevation parameters of glaciers were observed to have significant controls on relationships to the rate of glacial shrinkage. Largerarea and longer glaciers show a lower percentage of retreat than smaller and shorter ones. Moreover,glaciers located at lower altitudes and having gentle slopes show more area retreat. The results of area retreat in debris covered and debris free glaciers supports that the glaciers covered by debris retard ice melting at some extent. 158 glaciers were observed having no debris cover,and these exhibit 14% of loss in surface area. In glaciers having 40% debris cover,8% of deglaciation was observed. The glaciers located below equilibrium line altitude(ELA) have experienced 4.6% of deglaciation for the time frame 2001/02 – 2010/11 whereas it was found to be 1.1% for the glaciers occurring above ELA. However,theorientation of glaciers did not show any considerable influence on glacial change based on hypothesis.     

藏东南多依弄巴流域冰湖溃决危险性评价

冰湖溃决灾害是指冰湖坝体突然破坏引发溃决洪水或溃决泥石流的现象，对下游人类活动和自然环境造成严重影响。近年来，藏东南地区冰川快速退缩，冰湖数量和规模显著增加，冰湖溃决事件广泛发生。基于1995-2021年多时相Landsat系列遥感影像、Sentinel-2A遥感影像，结合RAMMS水文动力学模型方法，对藏东南地区多依弄巴流域内冰湖、冰川进行动态变化分析，模拟冰崩危险体触发冰湖溃决和冰湖溃决泥石流的演进过程，根据泥石流模拟中的流速和流深对冰湖溃决可能影响的区域进行危险性分区。结果表明:流域内冰川面积由1995年的14.05 km2退缩为2021年的9.43 km2，年均退缩率约为0.15 km2/a。流域内共发育3处冰崩危险体，均可能触发冰湖溃决。潜在危险冰湖在全溃情况下，溃决泥石流会冲出沟口堵塞然乌湖湖口和帕隆藏布主河道，对下游居民和道路造成影响，影响范围约4.05 km2，其中高危险性区域约2.55 km2。危险性评价结果可为多依弄巴流域未来土地利用规划和防灾减灾提供依据，也能为藏东南地区冰湖溃决型泥石流危险评估提供参考。      

Monitoring glacier and supra-glacier lakes from space in Mt. Qomolangma region of the Himalayas on the Tibetan Plateau in China

Because of the large number and remoteness, satellite data, including microwave data and optical imagery, have commonly been used in alpine glaciers surveys. Using remote sensing and Geographical Information System （GIS） techniques, the paper presents the results of a multitemporal satellite glacier extent mapping and glacier changes by glacier sizes in the Mt. Qomolangma region at the northern slopes of the middle Himalayas over the Tibetan Plateau. Glaciers in this region have both retreated and advanced in the past 35 years, with retreat dominating. The glacier retreat area was 3.23 km2 （or o.75 km^2 yr^-1 during 1974 and 1976, 8.68 km^2 （or 0.36 km^2 yr^-1 during 1976 and 1992, 1.44 km^2 （or 0.12 km^2 yr^-1） during 1992-2ooo. 1.14 km^2 （or 0.22 km^2 yr^-1 during 2000-2003, and 0.52 km^2 （or 0.07 km^2 yr^-1 during 2003-2008, respectively. While supra-glacier lakes on the debris-terminus of the Rongbuk Glacier were enlarged dramatically at the same time, from 0.05 km^2 in 1974 increased to 0.71 km^2 in 2008, which was more than 13 times larger in the last 35 years. In addition, glacier changes also showed spatial differences, for example, glacier retreat rate was the fastest at glacier termini between 5400 and 5700 m a.s.l than at other elevations. The result also shows that glaciers in the middle Himalayas retreat almost at a same pace with those in the western Himalayas.     

The Glacial（MIS 3-2） Outlet Glacier of the Marsyandi Nadi- icestream-network with its Ngadi Khola Tributary Glacier（Manaslu- and Lamjung Himalaya）：The Reconstructed Lowering of the Marsyandi Nadi Ice Stream Tongue down in to the Southern Himalaya Foreland

For the reconstruction of past climate variations,investigations on the history of glaciers are necessary.In the Himalaya,investigations like these have a rather short tradition in comparison with other mountains on earth.At the same time,this area on the southern margin of Tibet is of special interest because of the question as to the monsoon-influence that is connected with the climate-development.Anyhow,the climate of High Asia is of global importance.Here for the further and regionally intensifying answer to this question,a glacial glacier reconstruction is submitted from the CentralHimalaya,more exactly from the Manaslu-massif.Going on down-valley from the glacial-historical investigations of 1977 in the upper Marsyandi Khola(Nadi) and the partly already published results of field campaigns in the middle Marsyandi Khola and the Damodar- and Manaslu Himal in the years 1995,2000,2004 and 2007,new geomorphological and geological field- and laboratory data are introduced here from the Ngadi(Nadi) Khola and the lower Marsyandi Nadi from the inflow of the Ngadi(Nadi) Khola down to the southern mountain foreland.There has existed a connected ice-stream-network drained down to the south by a 2,100-2,200 m thick and 120 km long Marsyandi Nadi main valley glacier.At a height of the valley bottom of c.1,000 m a.s.l.the Ngadi Khola glacier joined the still c.1,300 m thick Marsyandi parent glacier from the Himalchuli-massif(Nadi(Ngadi) Chuli) – the south spur of the Manaslu Himal.From here the united glacier tongue flowed down about a further 44 km to the south up to c.400 m a.s.l.(27°57'38 "N/84°24'56" E) into the Himalaya fore-chains and thus reached one of or the lowest past ice margin position of the Himalayas.The glacial(LGP(Last glacial period),LGM(Last glacial maximum) Würm,Stage 0,MIS 3-2) climatic snowline(ELA = equilibrium line altitude) has run at 3,900 to 4,000 m a.s.l.and thus c.1,500 altitude meters below the current ELA(Stage XII) at 5,400-5,500 m a.s.l.The reconstructed,maximum lowering of the climatic snowline(ΔELA = depression of the equilibrium line altitude) about 1,500 m corresponds at a gradient of 0.6°C per 100 altitude meters to a High Glacial decrease in temperature of 9°C(0.6 × 15 = 9).At that time the Tibetan inland ice has caused a stable cold high,so that no summer monsoon can have existed there.Accordingly,during the LGP the precipitation was reduced,so that the cooling must have come to more than only 9°C.     

An investigation on changes in glacier mass balance and hypsometry for a small mountainous glacier in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Mass balance is a key indicator of the sensitivity of glaciers to climate change. Field measurement is one of the most important ways to study the mass balance of glaciers. Based on observations of mass balance in the ablation zone of Shuiguan Glacier No.4, Qilian Mountains, China, combined with the balance ratio between accumulation and ablation, we established a linear relation between mass balance and altitude. The results show that the mean annual mass balance of this glacier was ~510 mm w.e. from 2010 to 2013. The uncertainty in the balance ratio value does not lead to a significant difference in the mass balance. The equilibrium-line altitude rose by 180 m from 1972 to 2013, while the accumulation–area ratio decreased from 0.68 to 0.25. These variations may be caused by changes in air temperature. Meanwhile, the glacier is at present not in a steady state, and it may continue to shrink by a further ~900 m, even without further climate warming. In the western Lenglongling Mountains, assuming that the glaciers are in a steady state and the Equilibrium-line altitudes(ELAs)remain similar, there will be only 46 glaciers left, covering a total area of 19.2 km~2, in other words, only 22.3% of the glaciers area in 1972.     

Monitoring elevation change of glaciers on Geladandong Mountain using TanDEM-X SAR interferometry

Glaciers play an important role in the climate system. The elevation change of a glacier is an important parameter in studies of glacier dynamics. Only a few ground-based measurements of high mountain glaciers are available due to their remoteness, high elevation, and complex topography. The acquisition from the German Tan DEM-X(Terra SAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) SAR imaging configuration provides a reliable data sources for studying the elevation change of glaciers. In this study, the bistatic Tan DEM-X data that cover the Geladandong Mountain on the Tibetan Plateau were processed with SAR interferometry technique and the elevation changes of the mountain's glaciers during 2000–2014 were obtained. The results indicated that although distinct positive and negative elevation changes were found for different glacier tongues, the mean elevation change was about-0.14±0.26 m a-1. Geoscience Laser Altimeter System(GLAS) data were obtained for comparison and verification. The investigation using GLAS data demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed method in determining glacier elevation change. Thus, the presented approach is appropriate for monitoring glacier elevation change and it constitutes a valuable tool for studies of glacier dynamics.     

Glacier variations and rising temperature in the Mt. Kenya since the Last Glacial Maximum

High-resolution imagery can be used to reconstruct former glacier boundaries through the identification of glacial erosional and sedimentary geomorphology. We employed moraine mapping and the accumulation–area ratio method(AAR), in conjunction with Landsat, Google Earth, and SRTM imagery, to reconstruct glacier boundaries and equilibrium-line altitudes(ELAs) for Mt. Kenya in the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM), the Little Ice Age(LIA), and at present. Our results show that the areas of Lewis Glacier and the Tyndall-I glacier system were 0.678 km~2 and 0.390 km~2, respectively, during the maximum of LIA. Those mean that the both glaciers have shrunken by 87.0% and 88.7%, respectively since the LIA. Area change ratios for each glacier were significantly larger in the period of 2000 through 2015 than the former periods, indicating that glacier recession has accelerated. Continuous ice loss in this region has been driven by rising temperature and fluctuating precipitation. Linear regression data for Lewis glacier show that mass balance sensitivity to dry season temperature was –315 mm w.e./℃, whereas the sensitivity to dry season precipitation was 5.2 mm w.e./mm. Our data also show that the ELA on the western slope of Mt. Kenya rose by 716-816 m from the LGM to the modern era, corresponding to that temperature rose by 5.2℃-6.5℃.     

Heterogeneous Expansion of End-moraine Dammed Lakes in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya Ranges of Pakistan during 2001-2013

Global climate change during the twentieth century had a significant impact on the glaciers that resulted in creation of new lakes and expansion of existing ones, and ultimately an increase in the number of glacial lake outburst floods(GLOFs) in the Himalayan region. This study reports variation of the end-moraine dammed lakes in the high altitude Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya(HKH) region of Pakistan to evaluate future floods hazard under changing climate in this region. An integrated temporal remote sensing and Geographic information system(GIS) based approach using satellite images of Landsat-7 and 8 was adopted to detect 482 endmoraine dammed lakes out of which 339 lakes(0.02 km2) were selected for temporal change analysis during the 2001-2013 period. The findings of the study revealed a net expansion in the end-moraine dammed lakes area in the Karakoram(about 7.7%) and in the Himalayas(4.6%), while there was a net shrinkage of about 1.5% in the lakes area in the Hindukush range during this period. The percentage increase in the lakes' area was highest above 4500 m asl in the Hindukush, within 3500-4000 m asl in the Himalayas and below 3500 m asl in the Karakoram range. The overall positive change in the lakes' area appears to prevail in various altitudinal ranges of the region. The heterogeneous areal changes in the endmoraine dammed lakes might be attributed to different climate regimes and glacial hydrodynamics in the three HKH ranges. A periodic monitoring of the glacial lakes and their associated glaciers is essential for developing effective hazard assessment and risk reduction strategies for this high altitude Himalayan region.     

Relict glacial landscape in the Sierra Baguales Mountain Range(50°-51° S): evidence of glaciation dynamics and types in the eastern foothills of the southern Patagonian Andes

The glacial morphology of southern South American presents invaluable evidence to reconstruct former glacier behaviour and its relation to climate and environmental changes. However, there are still spatial and temporal gaps in the reconstruction of the Holocene Patagonian glacial landscape. Here we present the first geomorphological record for the Sierra Baguales Mountain Range(SBMR), forming the eastern foothills of the Southern Patagonian Andes 200 km from the Pacific coast. This area is topographically isolated from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field(SPIF), and is affected by the Westerly Winds. The study area shows evidence of ice sheet and alpine glaciations related to Andean uplift,which caused a marked climatic contrast between its western and eastern flanks since the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM). The regional rock mass strength and precipitation gradient acted as a controlling factor in the glacial cirque distribution and sizes, as well as in the development of glaciation types. We report new radiocarbon dates associated with warm/dry to cold/wet climatic changes during the middle Holocene, when former small alpine glaciers were located in the uppermost section of the SBMR basins, and eventually converged to form a small ice field or a composite valley glacier at lower elevations.This can be explained by an estimated regional temperature drop of 3.8°C±0.8°C, based on a 585±26m Equilibrium Line Altitude(ELA) descent, inferred by geomorphological evidence and the Accumulation Area Ratio(AAR), in addition to a free-air adiabatic lapse rate. Subsequently, the glaciers receded due to climatic factors including a rise in temperature, as well as non-climatic factors, mainly the glacier bedrock topography.