Carstensz Glacier

Carstensz Glacier
The Carstensz Glacier is at lower right in this 2005 image. The circular depression to the left is the Grasberg mine, the world's largest gold mine.
Carstensz Glacier Show map of New Guinea Carstensz Glacier Show map of Indonesia
Type	Mountain glacier
Location	Puncak Jaya, Sudirman Range, Central Papua, Indonesia
Coordinates	04°04′59.32″S137°10′44.77″E / 4.0831444°S 137.1791028°E / -4.0831444; 137.1791028
Area	0.05 km2 (0.019 sq mi) in November 2023
Length	470 m (1,540 ft)
Terminus	Rockfall
Status	Retreating

The Carstensz Glacier is near the peak of Puncak Jaya (sometimes called Mount Carstensz or the Carstensz Pyramid) which is a mountain in the Sudirman Range of the island of New Guinea, territorially the eastern highlands of Central Papua, Indonesia. The glacier is situated at an elevation of approximately 4,660 metres (15,290 ft) and is 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) east of the summit tower of Puncak Jaya. In 2002 the Carstensz Glacier was 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) in length and .60 kilometres (0.37 mi) wide. In November 2023 it was only 470 metres (1,540 ft) long and 100 metres (330 ft) wide.

The glacier is named after the 17th century Dutch explorer Jan Carstenszoon, commonly known as Jan Carstensz.

Background

Research presented in 2004 of IKONOS satellite imagery of the New Guinean glaciers indicated that in the two years from 2000 to 2002, the Carstensz Glacier had lost a further 6.8% of its surface area. ^[1] An expedition to the remaining glaciers on Puncak Jaya in 2010 discovered that the ice on the glaciers there is about 32 metres (105 ft) thick and thinning at a rate of 7 metres (23 ft) annually. At that rate, the remaining glaciers in the immediate region near Puncak Jaya were expected to last only to the year 2015. ^{[2] [3]} A 2019 study predicted their disappearance within a decade. ^[4]

The remaining remnant glaciers on Punkak Jaya were once part of an icecap that developed approximately 5,000 years ago. At least one previous icecap also existed in the region between 15,000 and 7,000 years ago, when it also apparently melted away and disappeared. ^[1]

Gallery

• 
  Animated map of the extent of the glaciers of the Carstens Range from 1850 to 2003
• 
  Puncak Jaya region icecap in 1936.
• 
  Puncak Jaya glaciers in 1972. Left to right: West Northwall Firn, East Northwall Firn, Meren Glacier (now disappeared), and Carstensz Glacier. See also animation.

See also

• Retreat of glaciers since 1850
• List of glaciers

References

1. Kincaid, Joni L.; Andrew G Klein (2004). "Retreat of the Irian Jaya Glaciers from 2000 to 2002" (PDF). 61st Eastern Snow Conference. pp. 147–157. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
2. McDowell, Robin (July 1, 2010). "Indonesia's Last Glacier Will Melt 'Within Years'". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
3. "Papua Glacier's Secrets Dripping Away: Scientists". Jakarta Globe. July 2, 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
4. Permana, D. S.; et al. (2019). "Disappearance of the last tropical glaciers in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (Papua, Indonesia) appears imminent". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 116 (52): 26382–26388. Bibcode:2019PNAS..11626382P. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1822037116 . PMC   6936586 . PMID   31818944.