Advances in Geosciences www.adv-geosci.net 1680-7340 1680-7359 22 4th EGU Alexander von Humboldt Conference "The Andes: Challenge for Geosciences" 2009 10.5194/adgeo-22-117-2009 http://www.adv-geosci.net/22/117/2009/ http://www.adv-geosci.net/22/117/2009/adgeo-22-117-2009.html http://www.adv-geosci.net/22/117/2009/adgeo-22-117-2009.pdf 117 124 2009-12-14 Mass balance evolution of Martial Este Glacier, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) for the period 1960–2099 M. Buttstädt mareike.buttstaedt@geo.rwth-aachen.de M. Möller R. Iturraspe C. Schneider Department of Geography, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany Water Resources Agency of Tierra del Fuego and University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Argentina The Martial Este Glacier in southern Tierra del Fuego was studied in order to estimate the surface mass balance from 1960 until 2099. For this reason a degree-day model was calibrated. Air temperature and precipitation data obtained from 3 weather stations as well as glaciological measurements were applied. The model was driven using a vertical air temperature gradient of 0.69 K/100 m, a degree-day factor for snow of 4.7 mm w.e. K^−1 day^−1, a degree-day factor for ice of 9.4 mm w.e. K^−1 day^−1 and a precipitation gradient of 22%/100 m. For the purpose of surface mass balance reconstruction for the time period 1960 until 2006 a winter vertical air temperature gradient of 0.57 K/100 m and a summer vertical air temperature gradient of 0.71 K/100 m were added as well as a digital terrain model. The key finding is an almost continuous negative mass balance of −772 mm w.e. a^−1 throughout this period. While the calculation of the mass balance for the period 1960–2006 is based on instrumental records, the mass balance for the years 2007 until 2099 was estimated based on the IPCC SRES A2-scenario. 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