Byrd Center Researchers Lead Field Expedition to Study Peru’s Quelccaya Ice Cap
Researchers led by The Ohio State University's Earth Sciences Professor Lonnie Thompson, a Senior Research Scientist at the Byrd Center's Ice Core Paleoclimatology research group and a world-renowned glaciologist and paleoclimatologist, have returned from their most recent expedition to Peru's Quelccaya ice cap, the world's longest-monitored tropical glacier. The month-long project, funded by the VoLo Foundation, included drilling a 10-meter ice core, sampling a 2.5-meter snow and ice pit, and photographing the retreat of the nearby Qori Kalis glacier, which has shrunk dramatically since monitoring began in 1977.
Glaciers tell the truth. They have no political agenda, no lobbyists, and no special interests. They simply record the history of temperature, precipitation, radiation, humidity, and cloud cover—and respond accordingly. What we see happening to Qori Kalis and the Quelccaya ice cap is the same story unfolding across every glacier in Peru and around the world.
—Professor Lonnie Thompson, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center
The team of seven field researchers, including Assistant Professor Dr. Emilie Beaudon (School of Earth Sciences), Researcher Dr. Stanislav Kutuzov (School of Earth Sciences), Dr. Keith Mountain (Photographer), Postdoctoral Scholar Kara Lamantia (School of Earth Sciences), and Wilmer Sanchez Rodriques. Gustavo Valdivia Corrales (MA, Columbia University in Climate and Society), a recipient of the 2022 Polar Archives Research Award, played a key role in coordinating meetings and events in Peru. The team was supported by an additional eleven Peruvian logistical staff members who also engaged with local communities and academic institutions during the trip.
One highlight was a screening of the documentary Canary in the Quechua village of Phinaya, where over 100 alpaca herders gathered to watch. These residents, who depend on glacier meltwater for survival, are among those most directly affected by Quelccaya's decline. The film's reception highlighted the importance of connecting science with the communities most impacted by climate change.
Back at Ohio State, the ice samples have now arrived for laboratory analysis by the research team.
The expedition also advanced a new conservation initiative, advocating for the designation of Quelccaya as a National Park. During the visit, project leaders met with Peruvian lawmakers, environmental lawyers, and representatives of the National Park Service, all of whom generated broad support from officials and universities in Lima and Cusco. This growing coalition offers hope that Quelccaya, one of Earth's most unique and scientifically valuable tropical ice caps, might gain lasting protection for one of Earth's most unique ice caps.
The Byrd Center's decades of research on Quelccaya now span more than 50 years, and this summer's expedition marks a pivotal moment.
Looking ahead, Center researchers will return to Peru in October to present at the "Mountains: Our Future" symposium in Cusco, where the Spanish version of Canary will premiere as part of the program. Screenings planning is underway across ten universities, the Peruvian Parliament, and public venues in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Puno, Huaraz, Sicuani, and other cities, broadening awareness of the campaign to preserve Quelccaya for future generations.
