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Ice patch origin, evolution and dynamics in a temperate high mountain environment: The Jou Negro, Picos de Europa (NW Spain)

Abstract:

The Jou Negro ice patch has the greatest surface area of the few that remain in the Cantabrian mountain range. This paper studies its development since the Little Ice Age, its structure and current dynamics. The ice patch lost mass throughout the twentieth century following the general air temperature rise in the region. It was originally a glacier, but from the beginning of the twentieth century it became a glacial ice patch, showing considerable loss of mass after the 1980s. The internal structure with two basal layers of saturated and partially frozen sediments upon which the glacial ice lies, favours contemporary movement. A considerable mass loss in 2009 has been detected associated with small displacements by sliding. The considerable clast cover and topoclimate favours the maintenance of the ice patch, which is in a state of imbalance with current environmental conditions. © The authors 2011. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography. © 2011 Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography.