**The Unknown Southernmost Glaciers of Europe**

**The Unknown Southernmost Glaciers of Europe**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.68899

## Emil Gachev Emil Gachev Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

ice core from Nevado Illimani (6350 m), Bolivia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

[52] Correia A. Histórico da deposição de elementos traço na Bacia Amazônica Ocidental ao longo do século XX. [PhD thesis]. São Paulo, Brazil: Universidade de São Paulo; 2003

[54] Bowen GJ, Revenaugh J. Interpolating the isotopic composition of modern meteoric precipitation. Water Resources Research. 2003;**39**(10):1299. DOI: 10.1029/2003WR002086. [55] Hoffmann G, Ramirez E, Taupin JD, Francou B, Ribstein P, Dela R, Durr H, Gallaire R, Simões JC, Schotterer U, Stievenard M, Werner M. Coherent isotope history of Andean ice cores over the last century. Geophysical Research Letters. 2003;**30**(4):1179-1183 [56] Kutschera W. The role of isotopes in environmental and climate studies. Nuclear Physics.

[57] Hardy DR, Vuille M, Bradley RS. Variability of snow accumulation and isotopic composition on Nevado Sajama, Bolivia. Journal of Geophysical Research. 2003;**108**(D22):4693

[58] Knüsel S, Brütsch S, Henderson KA, Palmer AS, Schwikowski M. ENSO signals of the twentieth century in an ice core from Nevado Illimani, Bolivia. Journal of Geophysical

[59] Vuille M, Burns SJ, Taylor BL, Cruz FW, Bird BW, Abbott MB, Kanner LC, Cheng H, Novello VF. A review of the south American monsoon history as recorded in stable iso-

[60] Vuille M, Bradley RS, Werner M, Keimig F. 20th century climate change in the tropical Andes: Observations and model results. Climatic Change. 2003;**59**(1-2):75-99

[61] Klein AG, Isacks BL, Bloom AL. Modern and last glacial maximum snowline in Peru and Bolivia: Implications for regional climatic change. Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Études

[62] Ginot P, Schwikowski M, Schotterer U, Gággeler HW, Gallaire R, Pouyaud B. Potential for climate variability reconstruction from Andean glaciochemical records. Annals of

topic proxies over the past two millennia. Climate of the Past. 2012;**8**:1309-1321

[53] Dansgaard W. Stable isotopes in precipitation. Tellus. 1964;**16**:436-468

Research. 2005;**110**:D01102. DOI: 10.1029/2004JD005420

2003;**212**:337-350

76 Glacier Evolution in a Changing World

2005;**A 752**(1):645-648

Andines. 1995;**24**(3):607-617

Glaciology. 2002;**35**:443-450

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.68899

#### **Abstract**

This chapter presents the perennial firn/ice patches in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula. The detailed study of these features in the last decades has proved that many of them are, in fact, small glaciers. They have survived without complete melting since the end of the Little Ice Age, and thus the time of their formation must have not later than in 14–15th century AD. At present, the existence of 16 small glaciers is suggested (and proved for some of them) in three mountains throughout the peninsula: Prokletije (mainly in Albania), Durmitor (in Montenegro) and Pirin (in Bulgaria), the biggest number being found in Prokletije. The two small glaciers (glacierets) in Pirin mountain are at present the southernmost glacial masses in Europe (the only located south of 42°N). Despite the registered warming of high mountain climate, small glaciers on the Balkan Peninsula have shown no trends towards shrinkage for the last 23 years.

**Keywords:** small glaciers, snow patches, Pirin, Durmitor, Prokletije
