Geoenvironmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru

This book focuses on Peru’s highest and most glacierized mountain range – the Cordillera Blanca. This mountain range experienced numerous disasters in the past (e.g. lake Palcacocha outburst in 1941, earthquake-induced ice and rock avalanche from Mt. Huascarán in 1970) and has attracted the attention of researchers from around the world. The 15 chapters of the book span from broadly thematic topics of geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology and hydrogeology, lakes, glaciation, and environmental settings to more specific topics and emergent themes of relevance for the Cordillera Blanca, including studies of various types of natural hazards (landslides, GLOFs). While most of the chapters focus on biophysical processes of the natural environment, several chapters explore the complex interactions between humans and environmental factors, providing insights and perspectives from social science and the humanities. This book offers an unprecedentedly comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge about the geo-environmental changes in the Cordillera Blanca.