Monte Balmaceda Glacier, Patagonia, Chile, 2001

Landscape photograph; color negative film; post-capture digitization

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Monte Balmaceda is viewed here from the Ultima Esperanza Fiord. The mountain is just 2,035 meters high but it is in an almost perpetual state of storm. Consequently only a few documented ascents are known. The glacier seen off the eastern slopes of Monte Balmaceda is receding in a manner similar to many of the planet's other glaciers. Scientists suggest that glacial recession is a result of global warming. The photographer is a Professor Emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology.