The Pyrenees without glaciers? The disappearance of the La Paül Glacier at the Posets massif

Abstract

The La Paül Glacier, located in the central Pyrenees, developed during the Little Ice Age. Historical documents, orthophotographs, the application of geomatic techniques and ground penetrating radar sounding have since then made it possible to monitor the glacier and reconstruct its evolution. In the 19th century, it began to lose mass and became an ice patch. Glacier mass loss occurred throughout the 20th century, but it accelerated in the 1990s due to anthropogenic climate change. The ablation rate further increased in the 21st century. From 2013 onwards, a series of warm summers and processes of ice collapse caused the glacier to disappear, leaving behind relict ice.