The Madaleta glacier (Spanish central Pyrenees): an analysis of its evolution since the Little Ice Age and its relationship with climatic factors

Abstract

The evolution of Maladeta glacier (Maladeta-Aneto massif; Spanish Central Pyrenees) is analized in this work since the last Little Ice Age maximum till today. Using different elements (morainic deposits, graphic documents), the extent of the glacier has been reconstructed and mapped for the nine stages in which reliable chronological data exist (1820-30; 1857; 1901-04; 1914-20; 1934-35; 1957; 1981; 1990; 1997-99). This information is compared with basic climatic data (temperature and precipitation evolution), reconstructed for the zone for that period by using dendroclimatic techniques and complemented by recent instrumental records of several south-pyrenean weather stations. The results thus obtained confirm the control of the above mentioned climatic factors in the evolution of Maladeta glacier, which has receded from an extent of 152.3 ha in 1820-30 to 54.5 ha in 1997-99, a 35.7% of the initial value.