GIS and Glaciers Landscape: Past and Present

Dear Colleagues,

Glaciers are very relevant to understand the planet’s climatic evolution. The signs of their development in the past allow researchers to reconstruct the paleoclimatic evolution in many mountains worldwide. Analyzing glacier current, glacier extension, and especially their evolution in the last decades transforms these landforms regarding key elements to measure the global change importance in our planet at present.

Studies in glacier zones include multiple temporal scales. Since thousands of years are a short period, the combination of the past and present have a main role in understanding their possible evolution in the future years or centuries. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are very useful tools for mapping in detail landforms and sedimentary deposits, as well as not only current elements but also the marks of glacier extensions or their impact in the landscape. Using GIS software allows researchers to obtain greater knowledge about the current changes in these areas and to predict their possible evolution.

Additionally, glacier deposits are the base material for many soils. The soils developed after glacial periods, from the deglaciation period, allowed for an impressive development of agricultural and livestock activities in many places around the world. It is necessary to improve the analysis on this topic to increase the possibilities of these areas and to generate new tools for landuse managers.

Aim of the Special Issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

• Improve the knowledge about glacier areas. Create new datasets and provide detailed information about the past and present in glacial zones.
• Demonstrate the importance of new technologies and GIS tools in glacial studies.
• Improve studies related to glacier evolution regarding soils evolution and their characteristics.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions.

• Cartographic analysis through GIS tools about glacier extension in the past;
• Modelling the glacier evolution in the past;
• Cartography and modelling the current state of glaciers and their past evolution;
• Study the current glacier evolution and their possible implications in the future;
• Superficial glacier landforms and edaphic dynamics; and
• New technologies applied to glacier mapping.

Prof. Dr. Augusto Pérez-Alberti
Dr. Alejandro Gomez Pazo
Guest Editors

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