The final countdown? Monitoring the rapid shrinkage of the Maladeta glacier (2010–2020), Southern Pyrenees

Abstract

Small glaciers are one of the best indicators of climatic variations and their short-term effects. Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Maladeta is one of these glaciers. Its systematic observation began in the 1980s, being one of the few Pyrenean glaciers with a tongue-shaped front. This study presents the evolution of the Maladeta glacial tongue over a decade (2010–2020) through multiple geomatic techniques. Surveys have ranged from Total Stations and Global Navigation Satellite System devices to massive data capture techniques such as Terrestrial Laser Scanners or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles photogrammetry. The aim is to analyze in detail the loss of surface area and thickness of the glacier and its transition from being a glacier with a tongue partially determined by climate to a topoclimatically determined cirque glacier. The results reveal a tongue retreat of over 5 m/yr and area losses of over 0.2 ha/yr, along with ice thickness and volume losses of −1.7 m/yr and over −21 × 103 m3/yr, respectively. If this trend continues, the tongue, and possibly the Maladeta glacier, could disappear by the end of the 2030s.