The statement was made in the research developed by a team from the University of Chile and published in the Journal of Glaciology, entitled ‘Reduction of glacial albedo and effects of drought in the extratropical Andes, 1986-2020’.

Rodrigo Fernandez, a professor from the Department of Geology at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, stressed that the glaciers in the central region are important as water supplies because they feed aquifers and rivers in the dry seasons.

He added that the ice masses ‘compensate for the annual variation in rainfall and allow us to have water for consumption throughout the year and are the main reservoir of fresh water during periods of drought such as in recent years.’

As the professor explained, 18 mountain glaciers from Valparaíso to O’Higgins, including those closest to Santiago, were analyzed in the study.

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