Study of the recent evolution of Monte Perdido glacier from terrestrial laser scanner data

Abstract

In this work we use a long range terrestrial laser scanner to study the evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, the third largest glacier in the Pyrenees, from 2011 to the present. Scans were performed annually in late September. From 2011 to 2016, ice thinning has been obvious (-3.71 meters in average) but subjected to a marked spatial and interannual variability. Thus, to two consecutive anomalously wet winters and cool summers (2012-13 and 2013-14), counteracted to some degree the intense thinning that occurred during the dry and warm 2011-2012 period, but glacier thinned again strongly in 2015, a year characterized by heavy accumulation but very warm summer conditions.