Cerros de la Plaza glacier disappears in northern Colombia
The Cerros de la Plaza glacier, part of the El Cocuy National Natural Park in northern Colombia, once formed an important high-altitude tropical ice mass within a protected ecosystem. This remote Andean landscape hosts páramo vegetation (high-altitude tropical grassland), glacial lakes, and unique biodiversity. The area plays a crucial role in regional water and climate regulation.
In March 2026, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) announced the disappearance of the glacier.
The disappearance of the glacier is visible in this series of Copernicus Sentinel-2 images acquired between 27 March 2016 and 28 February 2026. In 2016, the ice appears as a bright cyan-white patch against reddish-brown terrain. In 2018 and 2020, the glacier is visibly smaller, with further fragmentation evident in 2022 and 2024. By early 2025, only small remnants remain before disappearing entirely in 2026.
Copernicus satellite data support consistent monitoring of glacier extent, informing long-term climate assessments, water resource management, and environmental policy development in high-mountain regions.
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