Retreat of the Upsala Glacier
The Upsala Glacier is ranked as the third largest glacier in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Unfortunately, many glaciers in the area, including Upsala, have significantly retreated over the last 50 years due to rising temperatures. The Upsala Glacier has been observed closely by Earth Observation satellites, which have shown that the glacier has retreated by around 9 km since 1986.
In this image, captured by one of Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 22 September, the terminus of the glacier as it was in 1986 is highlighted with a yellow line. The retreat can clearly be seen as well as the fact that the Upsala and the Bertacchi Glaciers, which were still joined in 2016, are now separated.
The Copernicus Sentinel satellites play a crucial role in the monitoring of glaciers worldwide, providing essential information which helps researchers and decision-makers develop effective strategies for addressing the challenges stemming from climate change.
![Download [WEBP, 937.74 KB]](https://eu-space.europa.eu/sites/default/files/images/iotd/20231009_UpsalaGlacierArgentina.webp){kind=link}