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Nature and EnvironmentLatin America

Unknown Patagonia - Climate Research in the Icefields

February 12, 2024

Patagonia's icefields are very difficult to access. As a result, they remain largely unexplored by climate researchers.

https://p.dw.com/p/4bpUQ
Abenteuer Patagonien | Klimaforschung in der Eiswüste
Image: ZDF

Now, a scientist and two extreme mountaineers are venturing into this hard-to-reach area, in search of new data for climate research.

Abenteuer Patagonien | Klimaforschung in der Eiswüste
Image: ZDF

Even after 15 years of research in Chile, scientist Tobias Sauter says that for him, many questions remain unanswered. To clarify them, he decides to venture into areas that are difficult to access. The mountaineers Robert Jasper and Jörn Heller agree to help - and put themselves in great danger in the process. 

The two icefields in the Patagonian Andes, which stretch across the borders of Chile and Argentina, represent the largest ice mass outside the polar ice caps. However, as a result of climate change, the ice here is losing mass. In some areas, the icefields are losing up to 20 meters in height per year. 

 

Abenteuer Patagonien | Klimaforschung in der Eiswüste
Image: ZDF

Little is known about these dramatic developments and their specific causes. The ice field to the north in particular has so far mainly been studied using satellite-based data. The area’s extreme weather conditions and great remoteness make field research on site a challenge. 

Tobias Sauter from Humboldt University in Berlin is one of the few researchers to take on this challenge. He and a small team of German and Chilean researchers have been investigating developments at the southern end of Latin America for years. Until now, the researchers have lacked data and samples from the higher summit regions, which are difficult to access. 

 

Abenteuer Patagonien | Klimaforschung in der Eiswüste
Image: ZDF

With the help of professional mountaineers Robert Jasper and Jörn Heller, Sauter now wants to change this. The two German mountain guides have been searching for new routes and unconquered peaks in the Patagonian Andes for 30 years. The expedition takes the team through magnificent landscapes. It is a battle against the unpredictable weather, but also a test of their own limits. A camera team accompanies the group to one of the most remote areas of our planet. 

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