snapshot10_en-54932df4e0826287.pdf

This fact sheet examines the relationship between Pacific sea surface temperatures and water resources in the Andes of central Chile and central-western Argentina, highlighting the roles of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).

• Andean snowmelt serves as the primary water source for ecosystems, industry, hydropower, agriculture, and households in central-western Argentina and central Chile. Analysis of regional composite data indicates a close relationship between regionally averaged snowpack and streamflow, confirming that snowmelt is the source of most annual streamflow in this region of the Andes.
• Winter snowpack and streamflow levels are linked to large-scale Pacific surface temperature changes. High snowpack and streamflow levels coincide with warm El Niño events in the tropical Pacific, while most extreme dry years occur during cold La Niña events, with the exceptions of 1968, 1990, and 2004.
• The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is associated with low-frequency hydrologic variations in the Andes of central Chile and Argentina. Shifts in the PDO in the mid-1940s and in 1976-77 coincided with a 27% decrease in mean annual river discharges in 1945 and a 28% increase in 1977, respectively.
• Regional streamflow records in the late 1990s did not match lower PDO values, which may be attributed to an increasing contribution from melting glaciers, though further glaciological, meteorological, and hydrological data are needed to confirm this.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (n.d.). snapshot10_en-54932df4e0826287.pdf. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot10_EN.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. snapshot10_en-54932df4e0826287.pdf. n.d. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot10_EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=snapshot10_en-54932df4e0826287.pdf |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot10_EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearchndsnapshot10en54932df4e0826287pdf, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{snapshot10\_en-54932df4e0826287.pdf}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot10_EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }