Projecting the evolution of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field until the year 2200

The Northern Patagonian Ice Field (NPI), Chile, is the second-largest ice body in the Southern Hemisphere outside Antarctica, and one of the two remnant parts of the Patagonian ice sheet that existed during the last glacial period. It is located in the Southern Andes, a region that was identified to have one of the most negative specific mass balances of the world’s glacierized regions. The NPI is a highly dynamic ice body, characterized by large accumulation/ablation rates and contains the equator nearest tidewater  calving glacier, Glaciar San Rafael. We used the ice-sheet model SICOPOLIS to reproduce the current state of NPI and realize projections under different climate change scenarios. Calving is treated by implementing an additional specific mass loss for grid cells which are in contact with the ocean (San Rafael Lagoon). Forcing the model with a constant present-day surface mass balance a steady state is achieved which shows much similarity with the current state of the NPI. When forcing the model with different climate change scenarios, a mostly constant mass loss during the 21st century and a stabilization of the NPI during the 22st century is observed. The representation of Glaciar San Rafaels' front position improves clearly when implementing a simple (constant) calving law, however, the effect on the projected overall ice volume is low. Our simulation suggest that even if climate stabilized during 21st century, glacier changes on NPI would continue during the 22nd century.