Mountain Measurements and Observations – Chile
James McPhee
INARCH Kananaskis – Oct 2015
Geographic and Climate Context
Upper sites (>1500 m)
Lower sites (<1500 m)
Central Chile
Patagonia
1000
100
5
10
2.5
1
0
Latitude
Andes height [km]
Mean annual rainfall [mm/year]
Altiplano & Coastal Desert
Hydro/met observing system in the high Andes
Current coverage (DGA+DMC, pink
circles) is reasonable in the “central
valley” but dramatically low at higher
elevations, where most of the water
accumulation takes place
Mountain observations in Chile
Government‐run
• Operational
– Point‐scale SWE – Meteorology
– Streamflow
• Research
Research institutions
• Point‐scale SWE
• Snow depth surveys
• Meteorology
• Glacier mass‐balance
– Glacier mass‐balance
Private (hydropower, mining)
• Meteorology
• Streamflow
• Glacier mass‐balance
A Little History
A Little History… paused in 1970
Most active research groups
CEAZA (G,H)
CAZALAC (H)
UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE (H)
UNIVERSIDAD DE CONCEPCION (H)
CECS (G)
Upgrading technology for point‐scale mountain
observations: partnership UCHile+DGA
Laguna Negra (central Chile)
Los Cóndores (South‐central Chile)
http://dgasatel.mop.cl/
Sensor
Status
Net radiometer
Ok
Snow Scale
Ok
Depth sensor
Ok
Rain gauge
Ok
Wind speed
Ok
T, RH
Ok
CEAZAMET: met. Station network
operated by CEAZA for Coquimbo Region
Glaciological monitoring in Central Chile
Glaciar Bello
Glaciar San
Francisco
Glaciar Mirador del Morado
Glaciar Yeso
Glaciar Pirámide
Piramide Glacier
Streamgage Yeso River
Piramide
Bello
Yeso
San Francisco
Area (km2)
4.88
4.82
3.08
1.92
Min elev (masl)
3600
4050
4030
4200
Max elev (masl) 4100
4900
4950
2700
Experimental catchments run by
Universidad de Chile
Estero Morales
• 33º Lat S
• Semi‐arid
• No forest cover
• Area 38.7 km2
• Average elevation 2930
masl (1800 – 4400 m a.s.l.)
Valle Hermoso Creek
• 37º Lat S
• Temperate humid
• Variable forest cover
• Area 4 km2
• Low elevation (1650 – 2500 m a.s.l.)
Estero Morales Catchment
‐ 93 km from Santiago
Geomorphological characterization
Experimental nodes
•
Sensors measuring snow height , temperature and relative humidity
SR50A Snow Depth Sensor
083E‐L Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensor
Piezometers
•
Instrument that records graphics of the fluctuations of the Ground water levels in a continuous way.
Fluviometric Estations
•
•
•
•
Pressure sensors installed in "Estero Morales" for Measurement of the flow or running of a river
Station where we obtain measurements of the water levels in river, a continuous way using electronic equipment.
LEFT ‐ Fluviometric station in CONAF bridge and chemilcal Gaging
RIGTH ‐ Fluviometric station in front of San Francisco Glacier ‐“Estero Morales” Basin
Preliminary data from sensor nodes
Experimental nodes
•
Measure Snow depth in P4 node Estero Morales basin
“Valle Hermoso” Creek
Ubicación red de estaciones hidrometeorológicas en la cuenca Valle Hermoso
Nodos experimentales
•
Soil moisture (10, 30 y 60 cm) – to be added summer 2015. • You’ve seen this before…
Instrument clusters
•
Snow depth, air temperature + RHM, soil moisture, soild temperature
Streamflow observations
/2015
/2015
Altura horaria de nieve, zona sin vegetación ‐ 2015
20/06/2015
10/07/2015
Nodo 1
30/07/2015
Nodo 2
19/08/2015
Nodo 3
08/09/2015
28/09/2015
Nodo 4
Altura horaria de nieve, zona con vegetación ‐ 2015
20/06/2015
10/07/2015
30/07/2015
19/08/2015
08/09/2015
28/09/2015
5/2015
5/2015
Daily snow depth (from hourly data), vegetation‐free ‐ 2015
20/06/2015
10/07/2015
Nodo 1
30/07/2015
Nodo 2
19/08/2015
Nodo 3
08/09/2015
28/09/2015
Nodo 4
Daily snow depth (from hourly data), vegetated ‐ 2015
20/06/2015
10/07/2015
30/07/2015
19/08/2015
08/09/2015
28/09/2015
Low elev. South facing (Nodo 1 ‐
2015) 2.5
High elev. South facing (Nodo 2 ‐
2015)
Altura [m]
2
1.5
1
0.5
5/31
6/20
Sin Vegetación
7/10
7/30
8/19
9/8
0
5/11
9/28
Tiempo (días)
Con Vegetación
High elev. North facing (Nodo 3 ‐
2015)
6/30
Sin Vegetación
2.5
8/19
Tiempo (días)
Con Vegetación
Low elev. North facing (Nodo 4 ‐
2015)
Altura [m]
2
1.5
1
0.5
5/31
6/20
7/10
7/30
8/19
9/8
9/28
0
5/11
5/31
6/20
7/10
7/30
8/19
9/8
9/28
w instrumentation project for North‐central Chile: CEAZA
ZA (Sproles): Develop a real-time monitoring network in the
waters of the Elqui, Limari and Choapa Rivers
now water equivalent at 4300 m using a Gamma Ray Sensor
now melt lysimeters
easurements of the timing and levels of groundwater
ibuted SWE at intensive‐study areas performed by ersidad de Chile team over the central‐southern es, between 2009 and 2014.
Number of 90m Site / date
McPhee et al. dataset
Wolaver
1997 Morales 2010‐11
Morales 2011‐12
Morales 2012‐13
Morales 2014‐15
Ojos de Agua 2009‐10
Ojos de Agua 2010‐11
Ojos de Agua 2011‐12
Ojos de Agua 2013‐14
Olla Blanca 2011‐12
Olla Blanca 2012‐13
Vega Negra 2012‐13
Vega Negra 2013‐14
Vega Negra 2014‐15
Valle Hermoso 2013‐14
Valle Hermoso 2014‐15
Juncal 2012‐13
Portillo 2013‐14
Portillo 2014‐15
Lo Valdés 2014‐15
Laguna Negra 2013‐14
Laguna Negra 2014‐15
Echaurren 1992‐93
Echaurren 1993‐94
Echaurren 1994‐95
pixels
14
116
106
Not processed
40
78
209
236
162
147
57
123
Not processed
90
Not processed
132
36
Not processed
Not processed
14
Not processed
74
65
74
Andes In‐situ snow surveys: 2014 Morales and Lo Valdés watersheds
camp” (2 hours by car Santiago) Snow surveys at Valle Hermoso
Depth: distributed and around instrument clusters
Snow pits collocated with instrument clusters Thank you