Participatory monitoring of the Exploradores glacier (46°S):
Opportunities and challenges for the development of Scientific Tourism in the glaciers of chilean Patagonia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18226/21789061.v17ip170206Keywords:
Participatory Monitoring, Glacier Mass Balance, Citizen Science, Scientific TourismAbstract
The estimation of a glacier's mass balance, including its components such as accumulation and ablation, is a challenging task due to the meteorological complexities and access difficulties characteristic of mountainous regions. These limitations affect the temporal resolution of the data collected in the field. Nevertheless, in various parts of the world, tourist glaciers offer the opportunity to involve visitors as collaborators in scientific projects, which falls under the framework of so-called "Citizen Science." The Exploradores Glacier (46°S), one of the most visited glaciers in Chile since 2001, has been the site of activities such as ice hikes, making it an ideal candidate for the development of participatory monitoring initiatives. The objective of this research is to estimate the mass balance of the Exploradores Glacier using Citizen Science techniques and validate these results through a surface energy balance model implemented in Python, known as COSIPY. To achieve this, the "Community Workers" model was adapted and implemented through participatory workshops, installation of ablation stakes, and data collection by volunteers. The data obtained between November 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, were processed to estimate the glacier's summer ablation, resulting in an average mass balance of -14.14 m.w.e. This value was compared to the COSIPY model estimates, which indicated an average variation of -7.78 m.w.e. Although the magnitudes of both methods differ, they show a similar trend, suggesting that the discrepancies may be due to simplifications inherent in the models. This study concludes that Citizen Science holds great potential for facilitating research in remote areas such as mountainous regions, extending the temporal and spatial coverage of data collection. Additionally, it highlights the importance of considering possible sources of error that may influence the accuracy of results obtained through these participatory methodologies.
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