Following International Mountain Day, which raises awareness of mountain environments globally, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provides a view of the Pariacaca Mountain Range in Peru.
Also known as the Huarochirí range, Pariacaca is part of the Peruvian central Andes, the Cordillera Central. It features rugged peaks reaching over 5000 m.
This image from December 7 uses Sentinel-2’s near-infrared channel to show vegetation in red. Due to arid conditions and altitude, vegetation includes shrubs and grassland, with darker red forest patches and brighter red valleys.
Many peaks, including the highest, Pariacaca, which exceeds 5700 m, are snow-covered. This mountain, the white peak at the bottom, is located between Junín and Lima regions.
The image shows numerous lakes, primarily glacial, in black and green shades. Young glacial lakes, higher and closer to glacial fields, have emerald hues from tiny rock particles in the water.
Glaciers in the image include the Nevado Pariacaca system, crucial for hydrology. Though small, they store wet-season water, releasing it during dry seasons, regulating river flows vital for Lima and Junín.
Glacier retreat poses a significant hydrological challenge for Peru, with estimates of a 50% reduction in glacier surface since 1970. This retreat is visible in the grey lower mountain areas where glaciers once were.
Besides regulating water, glaciers influence natural hazards like glacial lake outburst floods and ice avalanches, causing casualties and infrastructure damage recently.
Efforts to understand glacier changes continue, though some regions lack comprehensive assessments. Earth observation missions like Copernicus Sentinel-2 help map and monitor these changes in remote environments.
Source: European Space Agency
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