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Year 2021, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1080380

KƌŝŐŝŶĂůZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚƌƚŝĐůĞ

Multi-Temporal Analysis of the Glacier Retreat Using Landsat Satellite

Images in the Nevado of the Ampay National Sanctuary, Peru

Carolina Soto Carrión 1, Juan José Zuñiga Negron2, Jhon Paucar Ancco1, Wilber
Jiménez Mendoza3, Manuel J. Ibarra Cabrera3, Alejandro Narváez Liceras4,
Sheila Paucar Ancco1
1
Technological University of the Andes, Apurimac, Peru
email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2
National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco, Peru and American Climber Science Program, Eldora,
Colorado, US
email: [email protected]
3
National University Micaela Bastides of Apurímac, Peru
email: [email protected], [email protected]
4
National Major University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru
email: [email protected]

Cite as: Soto Carrión, C , et al., Multi-Temporal Analysis of the Glacier Retreat Using Landsat Satellite Images in the
Nevado of the Ampay National Sanctuary, Peru, J. sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst., 10(1), 1080380, 2022, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d8.0380

ABSTRACT
Glaciers are humanity's most extraordinary water reservoirs, covering approximately 10% of the
total Earth surface. The investigation of the retreat of the glacier surface in the Ampay National
Sanctuary is carried out using the historical series of Landsat images and applying the normalized
snow differential index between the years 1991 to 2017. The meteorological data from the
Tamburco and Abancay stations have been considered to determine the deglaciation and quantify
the retreat of the Ampay glacier. The supervised classification spatial visualization method for the
Landsat 2 Multispectral Scanner image and the normalized snow differential index have been used
to determine the glacier cover area with Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8 Operational Land
Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor images. The results show a significant decrease in the surface of
the Ampay glacier due to the increase in temperature. The surface of the Ampay glacier in 1991
was 2.13 km2 and in 2017 – 1.09 km2, showing a loss of 1.04 km2 (48.92%) as a consequence of
significant climate variability (temperature and precipitation). In 2015, an apparent accumulation
of snow was recorded on the Ampay glacier, reaching 2.595 km2, but in the following years, the
glacier surface has been decreasing until it reached 1.086 km2 in 2017. It is concluded that the
glacial retreat of the Ampay National Sanctuary in the last 25 years with a tendency to continuous
deglaciation puts the water resource at risk.

KEYWORDS
Glacial retreat, Satellite Landsat images, Glacier surface, Multi-temporary analysis,
Temperature, Normalized Snow Difference Index.

INTRODUCTION
Glaciers are large masses of fresh water in solid state, which have been formed from snow
and recrystallized ice, which have accumulated and compacted due to low temperatures, over
a long time in some geographical areas of the planet [1]. As a consequence of climate change,
Corresponding author

1
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one of the significant impacts observed throughout the world is the melting of glaciers,
establishing itself as an indicator of change.
In Latin America, tropical glaciers are mostly located in the Andes mountain range: 72%
in Peru, 20% in Bolivia, 4% in Ecuador and 4% in Colombia. These tropical glaciers have
shown an accelerated decline since the mid-1970s.
The influence of climate on glaciers is more important when they are located in temperate
zones, such as in the Andes mountain range, where the ice sheet is at a melting temperature: a
small increase in temperature is capable of causing the ablation process. Most Andean glaciers
fall into this category, except for the parts that exceed 5,800–6000 m elevation, which are
generally “cold” glaciers [2]. Glacier retreat is evidence of anthropogenic climate change;
however, glacier response times are typically decades or more, implying that current glacier
retreat is a mixed response to natural climate variability and current anthropogenic forcing [3].
Remote sensing, using satellite images, is a very viable tool to study glacial areas or surfaces
[4]. During the last 40 years, the glaciers of the Peruvian Andes have been reduced by 42.6%
[5]. Through multi-temporal analysis in satellite images, it is possible to observe the evolution
of snow-capped mountains and glaciers and collect data of great importance to determine the
influence of climate change processes on them [6]. The retreat of glaciers in the Peruvian
Andes has accelerated during the years that the Niño phenomenon occurs; however, in the years
of La Niña, they tend to be stable or increase their coverage [7]. The main factors that influence
the amount of rain and its distribution and result in droughts or floods are natural cycles of the
climate, especially the El Niño and La Niña phenomena. Both are caused by the displacement
of a gigantic mass of warm water located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, at the latitude of
Ecuador. El Niño occurs when the warm water of the sea moves to the east, towards South
America (Ecuador and Peru), while La Niña occurs when the water slides towards the western
end of the Pacific (Australia and Indonesia). This reciprocating displacement of marine currents
is called the El Niño Southern Oscillation. The heat and water vapor exiting the hot water body
generate storms so large that they affect air currents that blow through mid-latitudes [7].
The greatest acceleration of the retreat of glaciers has been in the last decades of the 20th
century. Tropical glaciers are the primary source of fresh water for some of the largest cities in
South America [8]. The Andes are home to more than 99% of tropical glaciers, and Peru
contains approximately 70% of them [9]. Since the late 1970s, the glacial retreat can be
attributed to human influences on the global climate [10]. Likewise, [11] indicates that, at the
end of the 70s, the glaciers seem to have crossed an invisible line towards a state of decline that
can be considered unnatural. Ice volumes are known only to a few of the approximately 160,000
glaciers worldwide, but they are important components of many studies on climate and sea
level that require estimates of water flow [12]. Tropical glaciers are sensitive to climate change
on a spatio-temporal scale and are an important source of hydrological resources [13].
Tropical glaciers have experienced a setback in the recent decade. However, going back
several centuries and rebuilding the entire process of deglaciation since the "Little Ice Age",
the last maximum glaciers that occurred in this part of the Andes were between the 17th and
18th centuries; the retreat of the Andean glaciers began around 1730–1750. Therefore, it has
been before humanity could have a significant influence on the climate [14]. However, the
decrease in glaciers has accelerated in the second half of the 20th century, especially after 1976.
It can be said that, in the last decades, deglaciation took an unprecedented rate since the
previous three centuries, as the glaciers have lost between 35% and 50% of their surface and
volume in thirty years. Tropical glaciers in Peru cover an area of 2,500 square kilometer (km2),
but they are critical, first because of the water resources they grant to the populations. Glaciers
constitute solid freshwater reserves, and because of their great sensitivity to climate change,
tropical glaciers represent excellent indicators of climate evolution.
The environmental services of rocky glaciers are similar to those of white glaciers [15].
Among the services related to their use-value, it is mainly their use as a source of water,
contribution to climate regulation, the content of information on the geological and climatic

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past [16], and appreciation in tourism [17]. However, the cycle components are subject to
natural variability in inter-annual to ten-year time scales [18]. Some variations in the water
cycle, on a global scale, have been related to climate change [19]. On the other hand, human
activities like changes in land use and constructions, among others, can influence processes.
For Latin America and the Caribbean, agriculture is an economic activity that represents
about 10% of gross domestic product (GDP) and contributes 12% of world agricultural exports
[20]. The retreat of glaciers is balanced with the smallest temperature increase and accelerates
with the increasing air temperature. The results coincide with studies conducted in the Andes
of Peru [21].
Remote sensing, through the use of satellite images, is a very viable and useful tool to study
areas or surfaces of glaciers [22]. Similarly, the use of images from active sensors makes it
even easier to obtain information on displacement surfaces, such as Differential Radar
Interferometry – DInSAR, a technique that has been used in different parts of the world to study
glaciers [23].
On July 23, 1987, the Ampay National Sanctuary was established in Peru by Supreme
Decree No. 042-87-AG to conserve the species Intimpa (Podocarpus glomeratus) within its
ecosystem. The Intimpa is the only genus of South American conifer [12].
Tropical glaciers are sensitive to climate change on a spatio-temporal scale and are essential
for hydrological resources [24]. These changes significantly alter water availability in the
region and pose critical risks to local populations that are highly dependent on these resources
for their livelihoods [25].
The investigation of the retreat of the glacier surface in the Ampay National Sanctuary is
carried out using the historical series of Landsat images. It applies the normalized snow
difference index between the years 1991 to 2017. The meteorological data from the Tamburco
and Abancay stations have been considered for determining the situation of deglaciation and
quantification of the glacier retreat in Nevado Ampay [26].
The use of these tools facilitates obtaining information on glacial surfaces. It has been
hypothesized that the snowy Ampay presents an evident glacial retreat in the last 25 years due
to the variability of climatic factors (precipitation and temperature), endangering the water
resource.

Figure 1. Location of the glacier in the Ampay National Sanctuary

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Characteristics of the study area

The Ampay glacier is part of the Cordillera de Vilcabamba in the region of Apurimac,
province of Abancay; its maximum altitude is 5,235 meters above sea level, and it is located
geographically at the coordinates 72°55' to 72°54' west longitude and 13°33' to 13°34' south
latitude. Access to the Ampay glacier from the city of Abancay is by paved road and road
travelling 51 kilometer (km) to Karcatera, where it is possible to find informative signs, and
then follow a 6-hour road to reach the base camp. The climate in Abancay is 16.7 ºC annual
average temperature and 685 millimeter (mm) annual average rainfall [27]. The investigation
has been carried out with a duration of 12 months in the mountain of the Ampay glacier; the
area of the ice caps has been visited.
Land use has substantial restrictions in this area due to its proximity to the Ampay National
Sanctuary protected natural area, a buffer zone. The glacier is a water reserve that allows the
productive activities of the peasants to be prolonged in the buffer zone of the Ampay National
Sanctuary and the valley of the Pachachaca River. The rural populations near the Ampay
National Sanctuary are grouped into Peasant Communities (C.C.) and in Associations of Small
Agricultural Producers (A.P.A.) that make a total of nine groups [28].

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study has determined the changes in the glacial surface area between 1991 and
2017 by using and processing optical satellite images [29]. There are different techniques for
extracting and mapping snow cover on a satellite image [30]. Spectral Indices (IE) techniques
[31] have been used in satellite images of the Landsat 8 OLI/ TIRS (Operational Land Imager
/ Thermal Infrared Sensor) [32], which is a method that compares the spectral information of
one band with another to distinguish the coverage of snow among other covers [33]. Trend
design and evolutionary analysis have been used. Landsat images files union has been used,
the atmospheric correction has been obtained, the supervised classification and the filter have
been obtained, and the raster format has been converted to the vector one and the glacier area
to get images of glacial retreat [34].
For the analysis of the multi-time evolution of the Ampay glacier the images are shown:
• Band 2 green: 0.52–0.60 micrometer (µm); specially designed to evaluate the vigor
of healthy vegetation, measuring its green reflectance peak (or radiance). It is also
useful to differentiate types of rocks like band 1, to detect the presence or not of
limonite.
• Band 3 red: 0.63–0.69 µm. It is a chlorophyll absorption band, very useful for the
classification of the vegetation cover. It also serves in the differentiation of the
different rocks and to detect limonite.
• Band 4 infrared (IR) near: 0.76–0.90 µm. It is useful to determine the content of
biomass, for the delimitation of water bodies and for classification of rocks of
different ages, but also to see the perception of glacial retreat. The statistical
evaluation (Pearson’s test) has been performed to correlate glacier retreat with
precipitation and temperature data for the correlated climatic variability of the study
area.
The determination of the glacier retreat in the study area has been carried through the use of
satellite images of Landsat 6 type 5, 7 and 8. The satellite images allow obtaining the
information required to determine the retreat of the glacier and the volume of ice lost.
To estimate glacier coverage in the study area from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images, the Normalized Snow Difference Index (NDSI) [29] has been
used [30].
Regarding the multi-temporal evolution of each one of the mentioned periods, the analysis
shows the images of Landsat 8 (bands 7, 5, 4), Landsat 7 (bands 5, 4, 2), and Landsat 5 (bands
4, 3, 2); all these in natural colour combinations of light visible to the human eye, which has

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allowed differentiating the glacier cover to determine glacial retreat in the Ampay. For the
assignment of the thresholds, the NDSI (Normalized Difference Snow Index) raster, raster to
polygon conversion were used; these elements were main. To avoid confusion of shadows with
glaciers and have a reliable result, satellite images were introduced available in ArcGIS 10.3
software.

Database to estimate glacier cover

The information used is based on satellite images Landsat 2 MSS (Multispectral Scanner),
Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper), and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager /
Thermal Infrared Sensor), with a spatial resolution of 60 m (meters), 30 m and 30 m,
respectively, included between the periods 1991–2017 with projection of UTM (Universal
Transverse Mercator) map, WGS (World Geodetic System) 84 datum, zone 19 south, in
GeoTIFF format and Geographic Coverage (path 002, 003 and row 070).
The Landsat 2 MSS information is made up of four spectral bands; two in visible and two
in near infrared. Landsat 5 TM operates simultaneously in seven spectral bands, three being
visible, one in the medium infrared, two in the near infrared and one thermal band [32]. Landsat
8 is made up of nine spectral bands on the OLI (Operational Land Imager) sensor and two
bands on the TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor).

Geometric correction. At this stage, the ND (Normal Difference) pixels were moved to
their geo referenced positions without modifying the values of the Landsat MSS image, so that
they coincide precisely with the Landsat OLI image. The MSS image captured by Landsat 2
has been corrected using the empirical control point method, based on the Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS
image. For this methodology, it has been necessary to establish control points coordinate
transformation using a polynomial function and the cubic convolution method to transform
gray levels [35].

Creation of the file in pcidsk. The Smart Ware Physical Index, PIX of each image is
carried out, generating a single file with the information of 5 bands of each image.

Atmospheric correction. In this process, the radiance values are converted to reflectance
values and indices of spectral bands, using the FLAASH tool (Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric
Analysis of Hypercubes) of ENVI 5.3 software [36]. The necessary input data include the
average elevation of the area in kilometers, satellite imaging date, solar elevation angle, solar
azimuth, sensor type, and sensor altitude.

Estimate of areas covered by glacier

To estimate glacier coverage in the study area from Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) and
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images, the Normalized Snow Difference Index (NDSI) has been used
[37]. It is calculated using Eq. (1) for Landsat images [30] as follows:

𝑉𝐼𝑆−𝑁𝐼𝑅
𝑁𝐷𝑆𝐼 = (1)
𝑉𝐼𝑆+𝑁𝐼𝑅

where: VIS – index of visible light band (380–780 nm), NIR – index of near infrared band (780
nm–2.5 µm).
The NDSI is an index used to detect the presence of snow in a specific area. To obtain its
value using spectral bands defined for the different Landsat satellites, the indices of the image
bands must be processed as follows:

LANDSAT 4/5: NDSI = Band2 – Band5 / Band2 – Band5 (2)

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LANDSAT 5–7: NDSI = (Band2 – Band5) / (Band2 + Band5) (3)

LANDSAT 8: NDSI = (Band3 – Band6) / (Band3 + Band6) (4)

For the identification of snow, the authors of [38] indicated that NDSI > 0.4. Shadow and
cloud interference were removed manually, according to the procedure carried out by [39].
Field trips were made to the Ampay glacier for the in-situ execution of the experimental part
and validation of the results obtained from satellite images.

Climate data analysis

The analyzed climatic factors included temperature and precipitation from 1991 to 2017,
and for the study of the retreat of the Ampay glacier surface, the data including temperature
and precipitation were obtained from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service
(SENAMHI) from the San Antonio station in the Tamburco-Abancay District.
Figure 2 shows the temperature variability over the years, from 1991 to 2017. It is relevant
to note that in 2010 the maximum annual temperature of 16.84 °C is reached. From this record
a clear decreasing trend is shown until 2017. The variability of the temperature has been more
noticeable in the three years from 2015 to 2017, where the lowest temperatures have been
recorded within the last ten-year period.

Figure 2. Annual average temperature in the period 1991–2017

Table 1 shows the total monthly precipitation produced between the years 1991 and 2017,
and Figure 3 shows annual precipitation for the last 20 years. In the years 1991 to 1993, low
rainfall is shown with an average of 344 mm. In the years 1998 to 2001, the increase in rainfall
was to an average of 972 mm; in 2015, the precipitation increased to 1072.4 mm. The data
show that in recent years, the annual rainfall has increased relative to 1991.

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Table 1 Total monthly precipitation in millimeter (m), San Antonio station – Abancay

TOTAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION IN (mm) SAN ANTONIO STATION

YEAR JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. NOV. DEC. Total annual precipitation
1991 51.40 48.80 94.40 0.90 14.50 8.70 0.00 0.00 8.70 45.40 32.00 16.60 321.40
1992 15.20 80.10 37.10 18.90 0.00 31.20 0.00 47.90 0.00 43.60 24.20 49.90 348.10
1993 126.60 92.30 77.90 49.20 5.00 0.00 11.00 362.00
1996 275.60 247.50 114.70 64.00 4.50 2.00 6.00 28.10 23.00 66.70 51.80 62.50 946.40
1997 226.00 180.40 56.60 21.20 2.70 0.00 35.00 25.60 25.40 85.20 86.90 745.00
1998 171.90 102.10 157.80 22.00 9.10 3.00 0.00 1.00 9.00 92.00 52.10 89.60 709.60
1999 203.30 291.60 162.00 77.90 12.20 9.30 3.40 0.00 71.10 80.60 73.60 132.80 1117.80
2000 213.50 299.20 115.30 49.90 7.10 18.90 19.50 28.80 16.90 92.90 51.20 196.10 1109.30
2001 256.20 180.00 193.80 37.70 51.40 1.10 29.50 24.60 10.60 32.60 33.10 102.10 952.70
2002 125.60 202.30 133.90 76.00 22.80 11.00 58.00 16.30 63.20 81.80 130.10 921.00
2003 208.20 182.90 199.60 20.50 6.70 0.00 1.60 35.80 35.70 94.90 35.50 136.60 958.00
2004 138.70 217.20 81.70 10.50 22.20 37.00 17.90 34.90 23.30 40.40 145.30 769.10
2005 78.70 150.60 57.10 0.00 16.30 24.80 83.40 69.20 137.00 617.10
2006 210.30 143.00 87.90 42.00 0.00 13.30 0.00 0.00 4.00 129.30 136.40 766.20
2007 153.10 125.50 177.00 17.80 16.50 17.90 1.30 69.40 46.10 200.00 824.60
2008 154.10 109.80 101.90 22.00 0.00 10.30 398.10
2009 151.80 209.70 119.70 76.20 4.50 0.00 17.40 16.10 0.00 0.00 145.10 54.90 795.40
2015 215.60 247.70 162.00 78.10 20.20 1.10 12.30 33.30 1.60 42.40 93.80 164.30 1072.40
2016 72.70 303.00 56.30 103.40 1.90 7.20 7.50 15.70 15.20 70.00 72.30 155.40 880.60
2017 238.40 219.00 167.60 52.50 42.50 1.60 0.70 15.20 21.50 54.00 24.30 837.30

1300
1117.8 1072.4
1100 1109.3
946.4
952.7 958.0 880.6
900 921.0 824.6
Precipitation

745.0 769.1 837.3

766.2 795.4
[mm]

700
709.6
617.1
500
348.1
362.0 398.1
300 321.4

100
2006
2007
2008
1991
1992
1993
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

2009
2015
2016
2017

Years

Figure 3. Total annual precipitation in the period 1991-2017

RESULTS
The application of glacier surface estimation methods from Landsat images demonstrates
the existence of historical data from 1975 to the present day in the Ampay glacier. Considering
the data obtained from SENAMHI that indicate the increase in temperature and average
precipitation between 1991 and 2017, the rise in temperature and precipitation have broken the
natural balance in the thawing of the glacier.
The area of the glacier is established in square kilometers (km2) per year. In 1991 there
were 2.126 km2, in 2001 – 2.595 km2, in 2015 it decreased to 1.919 km2, and in 2017 there
were 1.086 km2. A decrease of 1.040 km2 occurred from 1991 to 2017, representing a 48.92%
loss of the surface of the Ampay glacier.
Figure 4 (4a–4i) presents the variations using optical images of glacial melting for the
Ampay snowfall understudy between 1991 and 2017. According to the results, they show a
significant decrease in the glacial surface from 1991 to 2017.

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Figure 4. Multi-temporal evolution of the glacier by area images: 2.126 km2 in 1991 (a), 1.402
km in 1993 (b), 1.777 km2 in 1995 (c), 1.826 km2 in 1996 (d), 1.542 km2 in 1998 (e), 2.595 km2 in
2

2001 (f), 1.468 km2 in 2004 (g), 1.919 km2 in 2015 (h), 1.086 km2 in 2017 (i)

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By analysing the main components with the bands of the images from 1991, 1993, 1996,
2001, 2015, 2016, and 2017, 10 components have been obtained as presented in Figure 5 and
Figure 6. The investigation has been based on the results of the multi-temporal evolution of
each of the periods mentioned. The analysis shows the images of Landsat 8 (bands 7, 5, 4),
Landsat 7 (bands 5, 4, 2), Landsat 5 (bands 4, 3, 2); all these combinations of natural colour,
for the light visible to the human eye, which has allowed to differentiate the glacier cover for
the determination of the glacial retreat.
3,000
3.
0 2.6
2,500
2.
5 2.1
1.9
2,000
2. 1.7 1.8
Area [km2]

0
1.5
1.4 1.4
1,500
1.
5 1.1
1,000
1.
0
0,500
0.
5

0,000
0.
0 1991 1993 1995 1996 1998 2001 2004 2015 2017

Figure 5. Multi-temporal evolution of the retreat of the Ampay glacier

Table 2 shows the retreat of the glacier from 1991 to 2017 has been 1.04 km2. During this
time, the evolutionary curve has significantly varied because there have been years of recovery
and others retreating the glacial surface. This differences in the retreat rate of the Ampay glacier
show that more factors are allowing the glacial surface to decrease as shown in Table 3.

Table 2. Glacier retreat as a function of time

Year Glacier area Glacier retreat

[km2] [km2]
1991 2.126
1.04
2017 1.086

Table 3. Multi-temporal evolution of the glacier 1991 to 2017

Launching and Glacier

Year
product [km2]
Landsat TM 5 2.126 1991
Landsat TM 5 1.402 1993
Landsat TM 5 1.777 1995
Landsat TM 5 1.826 1996
Landsat TM 5 1.542 1998
Landsat TM 5 2.595 2001
Landsat TM 7 1.468 2004
Landsat TM 7 1.919 2015
Landsat TM 8 1.053 2016
Landsat TM 8 1.086 2017

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Figure 6. Evolution of the Ampay glacier surface, 1991–2017

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The table shows that the glacier surface in 1991 was 2.126 km2 and progressively decreased
with slight recoveries in 2001 (2.595 km2) and 2015 (1.919 km2). In 2017 there was a decrease
in the surface to 1.086 km2.
Figure 6 illustrates the evolution of the retreat of the surface from 1991 to 2017. There is
a visible difference in the glacier surface of 1991 (Figure 6a) compared with the glacier
surface of 2017 (Figure 6i).

DISCUSSION
The investigation of the retreat of the glacier surface in the Ampay National Sanctuary is
carried out using the historical series of Landsat images. It applies the normalized snow
difference index between the years 1991 to 2017. The meteorological data from the Tamburco
and Abancay stations have been considered to determine the deglaciation and quantify the
glacier retreat.
The Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) images operate simultaneously in seven spectral
bands, three being visible, one in the middle infrared, two in the near infrared, and one in the
thermal band [31]. The retreat of the glaciers is balanced with the lower increase in temperature
and is accelerated with the increase in air temperature [32]. Temperature within climate change
has been a determining factor in the retreat of the Ampay glacier during the last two decades
(1991–2017).
The NDSI (Normalized Difference Snow Index), raster calculator and raster to polygon
have been used to assign the thresholds; these three elements were used to avoid the confusion
of shadows with glaciers and thus have a reliable result [29]. Satellite images have been
introduced, available in ArcGIS 10.3 software [40]. To estimate glacier coverage in the study
area from Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images, the NDSI has been used [37].
At the beginning of 2000, tropical glaciers covered 1920 km2 in total. Almost all of them
were in the Andes between Colombia and Bolivia, with predominance in Peru (70%) and
Bolivia (20%) [38]. Despite their small size in terms of volume – equivalent to less than 0.3
millimeter rise in sea level, these glaciers are essential for two reasons: firstly, they are
excellent indicators of the trend, evolution, and climatic fluctuations over several decades,
being, without doubt, the best of the tropical zone; secondly, they play a prominent role in the
hydrology of upper basins and contribute to water resources.
The acceleration of the deglaciation that has begun to affect the water resource is
indisputable. However, the issue is complex [41]. On the one hand, the decrease in the ice
reserve increases resource availability. Still, on the other hand, the resources diminish when
the ice masses are reduced too much to maintain them, particularly during the dry season.
However, the continuous deterioration of the glaciers will have inevitable consequences in
the upper glacial basins and the water resource and ecosystems linked to ice masses [39].
The highest percentage of loss of glacial surface in the Ampay glacier occurs in times of
ablation where the maximum and minimum temperatures are higher. There is an inverse
relationship between the temperature and the decrease in the glacier surface, which indicates a
smaller surface area at higher temperatures [42]. The loss of glacial surface is associated with
temperature increase, resulting from greenhouse gases [43].
There is also an inverse relationship between precipitation and loss of glacial volume – the
higher the rainfall, the lower the increase in the snow volume of glaciers. The greatest impact
on the loss of glacial volume occurs in seasons of ablation where rainfall is low, and the
glacier’s behavior shows a tendency to recede. This leads to the conclusion that the scarce
precipitation in the ablation season does not contribute to the glacier’s stability since it does
not generate accumulation on its surface [44].
The Ampay glacier is a source of water supply that accumulates in several lagoons that are
part of the Pachachaca river basin. The potential of spatial visualization methods to monitor

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glacier covers is a fairly effective method, which can significantly help to understand and track
glacier mass movements [45].
In recent years the glacial surface of the Ampay has receded, revealing its "fresh" moraines.
Due to the current distance from the glacier, three lagoons that are part of the melt chain have
dried up, and those that are still reservoirs have decreased their volume by up to 50% compared
with the volume of 1997. The accelerated deglaciation of the Ampay constitutes a threat to the
population; as a reserve water resource for the city [46], the parameters of temperature,
precipitation and relative humidity have a significant influence on the behavior of the Ampay
glacier [47].

CONCLUSIONS
Through the use of the historical series of Landsat images and the normalized snow
difference index, the situation of deglaciation and quantification of the retreat of the Ampay
glacier has been determined. The use of the Normalized Differential Snow Indices – NDSI tool
has allowed the delimitation of the glacier surface. The multi-temporal analysis of the glacier
surface estimated from satellite images shows a significant decrease in the coverage of the
Ampay glacier area in the last two decades (2001–2017) with a loss of 1.04 km2 (48.92%), as
a consequence of climate variability (meteorological components of precipitation and
temperature). In 2015 a recovery occurred in the area of the Ampay glacier to 2.595 km2. Still,
in the following years, it has been decreasing to reach 1.086 km2 in 2017, without forecasting
that the glacial retreat will continue in the coming years, putting at risk the availability of water
resources as a water reserve.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
To the Swiss Cooperation, through the Andean Forests program, who have sponsored the
culmination of the research.

NOMENCLATURE
NDSI normalized differential snow index [-]
NIR index of near infrared band [-]
VIS index of visible light band [-]

Abbreviations
IR Infrared
MSS Multispectral Scanner
OLI Operational Land Imager
SENAMHI National Meteorology & Hydrology Service
TIRS Thermal Infrared Sensor
TM Thematic Mapper

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Paper submitted: 03.04.2020

Paper revised: 10.12.2020
Paper accepted: 15.12.2020

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