Perito Moreno and Tyndall … science and exploration in Patagonia 2017
56 imagesThe Association of La Venta Geographic Explorations – Italy, in the person of Alessio Romeo together with the Association Spélé’Ice – France, have organised an exploratory scientific expedition in Patagonia, called MaGPat (Microalgae and Glaciers of Patagonia), on the glaciers Perito Moreno (Argentina) and Tyndall (Chile ).
The expedition, scheduled between March 23 and April 20 of 2017, had taken place on two Patagonian glaciers that are originated on the ice cap of the Hielo Continental Sur: the Perito Moreno, located in the “Parque National de los Glaciares” in Argentina, and the Tyndall that instead is located in the Chilean National Park “Torres del Paine”.
The expedition, whose objectives are the geographical and speleological explorations, but above all the scientific researchs, is part of a series of explorations started in the early 90s in Patagonia and Greenland as part of a study on the main glaciers and ice caps of the Planet.
Scientific research
- Microbiology of the Cryoconites
- Microbial biology of the Cryoconites
- Mineralogy and pollutants of the Cryoconites
- Glaciological research on the Perito Moreno
- Geomorphological detection of the Perito Moreno and the Tyndall
- Speleological and geographical explorations on the Perito Moreno and the Tyndall
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- Use and test of new research technologies like 3D Laser Scanner and Drones
Glaciospeleological research
The MaGPat2017 expedition on Perito Moreno will also lead to an enrichment of the glaciological knowledge. In particular, the modeling of the mass and energy balance of the glacier will be improved thanks to the ablation data and albedo collected on the field: in this way, together with the speed data, will be possible to evaluate and estimate more precisely the glacier response to climate changes taking place. In addition, new methods of study will be validated and then applied to other Patagonian glaciers in order to expand the knowledge of these important areas of the planet.
This research will for the first time be compared with similar studies conducted in Europe, Greenland and Antarctica.
Alessio Romeo Photography 
[…] expeditions d’exploration scientifique sont régulièrement organisées pour les étudier et prendre de précieux échantillons de glace. […]