Upsala glacier change from 1985 to 2021

The Upsala Glacier is the third largest glacier in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Many glaciers in the Patagonian Ice Field, including Upsala, have been retreating over the last 50 years owing to rising temperatures.

The image on the left, captured by the US Landsat mission, shows the Upsala Glacier on 27 January 1985, while the image on the right, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission shows the glacier on 26 February 2021.

The images show that the glacier has retreated approximately 9 km between 1985 and 2021. Satellite data can help monitor changes in glacier mass and, subsequently, their contribution to rising sea levels.