Modelling the energy balance of high altitude glacierised basins in the central Andes

Water as a result of snow and glacier melt is an important resource in the Central Andes of Chile and Argentina, which in terms of precipitation are close to climatic deserts, yet they support large populations and a rich agriculture. In spite of this, little is known of the processes at play and the variability over time. In particular, the specific mechanisms of energy balance and melt on high altitude glaciers in this region have been the subject of limited research. Another particularity of the region is the ablation of most of the snow cover into penitentes or pinnacles of snow and..