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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 33, L10402, doi:10.1029/2006GL025962, 2006

Recent glacial recession in the Rwenzori Mountains of East Africa due to rising air temperature

Richard G. Taylor

Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK


Lucinda Mileham

Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK


Callist Tindimugaya

Water Resources Management Department, Directorate of Water Development, Entebbe, Uganda


Abushen Majugu

Meteorology Department, Kampala, Uganda


Andrew Muwanga

Department of Geology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda


Bob Nakileza

Department of Geography, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda


Abstract

Based on field surveys and analyses of optical spaceborne images (LandSat5, LandSat7), we report recent decline in the areal extent of glaciers in the Rwenzori Mountains of East Africa from 2.01 ± 0.56 km2 in 1987 to 0.96 ± 0.34 km2 in 2003. The spatially uniform loss of glacial cover at lower elevations together with meteorological trends derived from both station and reanalysis data, indicate that increased air temperature is the main driver. Clear trends toward increased air temperatures over the last four decades of ∼0.5°C per decade exist without significant changes in annual precipitation. Extrapolation of trends in glacial recession since 1906 suggests that glaciers in the Rwenzori Mountains will disappear within the next two decades.

Received 15 February 2006; accepted 12 April 2006; published 17 May 2006.

Index Terms: 1605 Global Change: Abrupt/rapid climate change (4901, 8408); 1827 Hydrology: Glaciology (0736, 0776, 1863); 1855 Hydrology: Remote sensing (1640); 6020 Planetary Sciences: Comets and Small Bodies: Ices; 9305 Geographic Location: Africa.

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Citation: Taylor, R. G., L. Mileham, C. Tindimugaya, A. Majugu, A. Muwanga, and B. Nakileza (2006), Recent glacial recession in the Rwenzori Mountains of East Africa due to rising air temperature, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L10402, doi:10.1029/2006GL025962.