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Published on: October 26, 2019
Mountain glacier extents at the Last Glacial Maximum
Augusto C Lima1, Helen E Dulfer2,3, Anna L C Hughes4
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. lima.augusto@icloud.com.
A new global database, GLACIMONTIS, maps maximum mountain glacier extents during the Last Glacial Maximum. This resource enhances understanding of Quaternary climate change and mountain environments.
Area of Science:
- Quaternary science
- Paleoclimatology
- Glaciology
Background:
- Mountain regions underwent significant glacial cycles during the Quaternary.
- Existing global geodatabases of mountain glacier extents are scarce and outdated.
- Accurate reconstructions are crucial for understanding past climate dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present GLACIMONTIS, a comprehensive global geodatabase of mountain glacier maximum areal extents.
- To synthesize recent data and update knowledge on glacier extents at the local Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).
- To identify research gaps in paleoglacier reconstructions globally.
Main Methods:
- Integrated reconstructions from 209 studies covering 271 mountain ranges worldwide.
- Compiled 15,014 individual glacier reconstructions, with 8,809 new to a global geodatabase.
- Focused on the period spanning 57-14 kyr BP for local Last Glacial Maximum.
Main Results:
- GLACIMONTIS provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of global mountain glacier extents at the local LGM.
- Knowledge was updated for 135 mountain ranges.
- Research gaps were identified in 71 mountain ranges.
Conclusions:
- GLACIMONTIS offers essential spatial data for refining climate-glacier models and paleoecological studies.
- The database serves as a framework for identifying and addressing regional research gaps.
- This resource advances Quaternary science by improving access to paleoglacier data and fostering interdisciplinary research.
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