Glacier Shrink in Chile Accelerates

1st August 2026

A study by MapBiomas Agua-Chile has revealed that between 1998 and 2025 the country lost 344 thousand hectares of glaciers.

The most affected region was Ñuble, which lost 91% of its glacier surface.

Chile has about 80% of the glaciers in the Andes and their retreat impacts the supply of fresh water.

“Glaciers are tremendously relevant because they provide a continuous flow of water to the basins, especially in summer and drought periods, which is when we need water the most,” said Alexis Segovia from the University of Chile.

The loss of glaciers and surface waters in Chile reflects the impact of the climate crisis and the megadrought on ecosystems.

The retreat of these ice bodies compromises water security, biodiversity, and human activities that depend on them.

The challenge is to strengthen monitoring and conservation policies to ensure water and resilience in the face of climate change.

In Argentina one glacier has recently been cited as the only glacier in the world growing.

Now that is not the case.

The Perito Moreno Glacier lies in Los Glaciares National Park, in Santa Cruz Province, southern Argentina.

For decades, it showed few signs of retreat compared with many other Patagonian glaciers, but that pattern has changed.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina. Image c/o European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image taken on 30 June 2026, shows the glacier’s broad ice front between Lago Argentino and Brazo Rico, a southern arm of the lake.

The red line marks the ice front’s position in 2016, showing how far the ice moved back over the past decade.

Copernicus satellite data provide regular observations of remote glaciers, helping to track changes in ice extent over time.

These data support long-term climate assessments and environmental monitoring in glacial regions worldwide.