Rapid recent fluctuations of the calving San Rafael Glacier, Chilean Patagonia: climatic or non-climatic?

Recent fluctuations of the San Rafael Glacier contrast in timing, direction and intensity with regional trends of glacier behaviour. A link is identified between the oscillation history, the topographic situation and variations in winter precipitation. The San Rafael Glacier is the lowest latitude tidewater glacier in the world with unusually high annual mean velocities. Since the late 19th century, it has retreated and advanced rapidly over a total ditance of 14 km and is now 60 km² smaller than it was 100 years ago. Retreat at up to 300 m a^-1 during the 1980s halted in 1990. Since then, a slight readvance has occurred at a time of accelerated regional retreat. -from Author