Influence of solar radiation in the ice wastage proceses since the last Little Ice Age maximum in the Madaleta Glacier (Pyrennes, Spain)

Abstract

The goal of this study is to assess the importance of short-wave solar radiation in the ice wastage processes observed in the Maladeta Glacier since the last Little Ice Age maximum till today. The reconstruction of that evolution was made using different graphic documents (iconography, topographic maps, aerial photographs, terrestrial photographs) that showed the condition of the glacier in several moments of its recent history. The solar radiation values have been obtained by using the Solar Analyst software (an ArcView GIS extension), which calculates estimations of direct, diffuse and global radiation for each cell of a Digital Elevation Model and for selected periods of time. The results confirm the strong influence of solar radiation on the detail evolution of Maladeta favoring, as a function of its intensity (related with topography and albedo), the development of areas with differential ablation..