THE GLACIERS OF MOUNT ANTELAO (DOLOMITES, ITALY) SINCE THE LITTLE ICE AGE

摘要

Field surveys and analysis of the bibliography allowed to create a digital elevation model showing the extension and the variation in volume of the glaciers of the Mt Antelao in the Little Ice Age (LIA). The Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) was then at an altitude of 2550 m a.s.l. for the Upper Glacier: its extension, since LIA to today, was reduced from 72.9 ha to 25.9 ha. The Lower Glacier had an ELA at 2400 m a.s.l.: its extension was reduced from 38.5 ha to 13.7 ha. Loss volume of the Upper Glacier is about 18.5 × 10~5 m~3, while for the Lower Glacier it is about 13 × 10~5 m~3. The different ELA of the two glaciers is due to the aspect, N for the Lower Glacier and NE for the Upper Glacier, along with different feeding by avalanches. If the present trend continues in the coming years the glaciers will become modest masses of dead ice covered by debris.