Two "islands" of ice separated from the Gray glacier in Chile – 14/03/2019

The Gray Glacier, an imposing body of ice in the heart of the Chile National Park in the Torres del Paine region, has detachment of two blocks totaling 16.3 hectares. Enough space to build a small town, with streets and houses at the end of the world.

Breaks are common in the formation that is part of the southern icefields. Although glaciologists have emphasized on this occasion Colossal size of gray and blue fragments. One of them has 8.8 hectares and the other 7.5 hectares.

In general, ice fractions observed from the floating coast in the lake of the same name are larger than those of a two-storey house or a small building. But this time, it's about real islands which separate from the larger body of the gray.

Its surface is crossed by "Scars" and channels several meters deep. They are the cold, brutal and private version of the ever-attractive islands of the Caribbean.

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The first of the monumental ruptures occurred on February 20th and the second on March 7th. The islands separated from the glacier and slowly they started moving across the lake separated from each other by a few meters.

The experts explained that the breaks were directly related to global warming and, in addition, to the rising temperatures and constant rains in the Torres del Paine region during this summer that ended.

"There is a greater frequency of landslides in this language in the east of the glacier and more data is needed to badess its stability," said Ricardo Jaña, researcher and member of the Climate Change Zone of the Scientific Department of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH). .

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"There have been increases in above-normal temperatures and normal and normal precipitation as well as an increase in the level of water in the lake, factors that have could explain the forcing", Added the scientist.

The irreversible phenomenon worries on one hand the experts German, Brazilian and Chilean, the three countries that support an international survey on the glacier, but it is always an "opportunity" to generate even more attention on the park each year. visited by some 300 thousand tourists. More than 75% of them come from Europe and the United States. In the summer, their "high-tech" farms and equipment operate temporarily in the 242,000-hectare reserve.

Torres del Paine is the most famous park in Chile and the one that generates the most revenue. It is estimated that the annual business figure exceeds $ 7 million.

The trans-Andean park, located 250 km from El Calafate, is considered a paradise for hiking and its itinerary in "O", along its iconic huts, requires between 4 and 6 days of demanding trek.

"The climate change we experienced in El Esperanza has generated melting and detachment of glaciers and it's a situation that's here to stay. Following the melting of glaciers, sea level will also be increased with fresh water, which could affect marine flora and fauna", He laments Clarin Salvador Miranda Vilos, one of the leading environmental activists in Puerto Natales, a town located 80 kilometers from the nature reserve.

"Almost 30 years ago, when I started working in Paine, the ice had spread much further to the Frey Hut, but today, to reach the ice, you have to walk several kilometers, "says Ciro González, a local businessman. which moves tourists into the park.

In December, Chile will host COP25, the international conference dedicated to policies against global warming.

According to data from the National Glacier Strategy, there are 1,840 glaciers in the Magallanes region, where Gray is also located. The number of glaciers in Chile is estimated at 7,493.

Located just off Puerto Natales, the snowmars Balmaceda and Serrano are located and accessible by boat. They have also suffered from warming and their beautiful languages ​​no longer reach the coast.

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