Pico Bolívar
Pico Bolívar | |
---|---|
Ultra | |
Coordinates | 08°32′30″N 71°02′45″W / 8.54167°N 71.04583°W[2] |
Geography | |
Location | Mérida, Mérida, Venezuela |
Parent range | Sierra Nevada, Andes |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1935 by Enrique Bourgoin, H. Márquez Molina and Domingo Peña |
Pico Bolívar is the highest mountain in
The Pico Bolívar is located on the mountain previously called La Columna, next to El León (4,743 m) and El Toro (4,695 m). The new name was suggested by Tulio Febres Cordero in 1925. It was officially renamed on December 30, 1934.
Elevation
The height of this prominent Andean peak has been estimated and calculated various times during history. In 1912, one
During the 1990s, the scientists Heinz Saler and Carlos Abad calculated the height, based upon
The final measurement was made by José Napoleon Hernández from IGVSB; Diego Deiros and Carlos Rodriguez from USB and two guides from Inparques. GPS measurements designed for geodetic network consists of the vertices Pico Bolívar, El Toro, Piedras Blancas, and Mucuñuque Observatory, the latter belonging to the Venezuelan Red Geocentric REGVEN. Measurements were temporally equally long and continuous to ensure a greater volume of data over time to make more consistent and reliable information, five (5) GPS dual frequency receivers were used.[4]
Glacial retreat
During the
It is estimated that in 1910 the area covered by glaciers was around 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi), divided in two large areas, one embracing Picos Bolívar, Espejo and Concha and the other embracing Picos Humboldt and Bonpland. Possibly a small glaciated area covered the northwest side of Pico El Toro.[5]
Aerial pictures taken in 1952 show the glaciated area had already shrunk to 0.9 km2 (0.35 sq mi) for the Picos Bolívar, Espejo and Concha and to 2.0 km2 (0.77 sq mi) for the Picos Humboldt and Bonpland.
In 2003 almost all the glaciers of the area had disappeared, with the exception of a two small glaciated areas (7.48 ha (18.5 acres) on Pico Bolívar and 35.81 ha (88.5 acres) on Pico Humboldt).
References
- Pérez O, Hoyer M, Hernández J, Rodríguez C, Márques V, Sué N, Velandia J, Deiros D. (2005). "Alturas del Pico Bolívar y otras cimas andinas venezolanas a partir de observaciones GPS" Interciencia. 30 (4). [1]
- Jahn, A. "Observaciones glaciológicas de los Andes venezolanos" Cult. Venez. 1925, 64:265-80
Notes
- ^ a b c d Pérez et al (Sep. 2005): "Alturas del Pico Bolívar y otras cimas andinas venezolanas a partir de observaciones Gps." INCI v.30, n.4, Caracas sep. 2005. Retrieved 2012-09-27. (in Spanish)
- ^ a b "Venezuela, Brazil and the Guianas Ultra-Prominences" Note: The prominence value given here is based on an elevation of 4,981 m. Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ^ Figueredo, Ivarelys (7 November 2002) "Tendrán que corregir la altura del pico Bolívar en textos de Geografía" El Nacional from Web Archive, originally from Venezuela Innovadora. (in Spanish)
- ^ Boletín Geográfico IGVSB-BG No 14
- ^ "Efectos del calentamiento global ¿Nieves eternas en la Sierra Nevada de Mérida? (in Spanish)