Introducing a new normalized cryospheric index (NCI) to categorize sub-watersheds on arid environments
- 1University of Atacama (Copiapó, Chile)
Abstract
This study examines sub-watersheds in the arid northern region of Chile (26°41 ′ –28°24 ′ S), situated within the broader Copiapó watershed. The primary water source for this watershed originates from cryospheric landforms. The region exhibits pronounced physiographic and climatic diversity, with its northern sector situated within the South American Arid Diagonal (SAAD), where cryospheric features display greater spatial isolation. The aim of this study is to quantify the water volume contributed by distinct cryospheric landforms to regional watersheds. This study employs a classification methodology to categorize cryospheric landforms within sub-watersheds, integrating an inventory of cryospheric landforms, historical snow permanence derived from satellite imagery, published ice content and depth measurements (ERT and GPR). The Normalized Cryospheric Index (NCI) is calculated for varying hydrological conditions and provides a means to compare potential water volumes across sub-watersheds. The relative weight of ice and snow in the index is derived from the observed relationship between September snow cover and melt-season streamflow (ice weight w =0.43 on average, 0.27 in wet years and 0.62 in dry years). The analysis reveals significant spatial variability in cryospheric landforms and their strategic hydrological significance. Under average and low-precipitation conditions, the southern sub-watersheds of the Copiapó watershed show the greatest water storage potential. The Montosa River (NCI = 0.72 ± 0.12), Estero Come Caballos (NCI = 0.62 ± 0.23), Del Potro River (NCI = 0.61 ± 0.18), Manflas River (NCI = 0.59 ± 0.17), and Figueroa River (NCI = 0.50 ± 0.21) sub-watersheds have been identified as strategic priority areas within the region for sustaining surface runoff and safeguarding water availability. During high-snowfall periods, northern sub-watersheds in the Copiapo watershed, such as Estero Come Caballos, show elevated NCI values despite their limited cryospheric landforms. In contrast, the Montosa, Manflas, and Del Potro sub-watersheds contain the most extensive cryospheric landforms and rank among the top of the sub-watersheds with the highest NCI scores.
Versions
Related
- Climate-informed cryospheric reanalysis via hierarchical Bayesian data assimilation
- Morphometric analysis and prioritization of Virupapura micro-watersheds using GIS and remote sensing techniques in Cauvery River Basin, India
- Standardizing mercury litterfall and throughfall data for comparative research: Introducing the MFallDa global database
- Introducing shrubs enhances the representation of high-latitude vegetation and carbon cycling in the ORCHIDEE land surface model
- Conservation of Normalized Energy Density in multi-layered media: a proof for the general multi-layer 2D SH problem
BibTeX
@article{ulloa2026introducing,
title = {{Introducing a new normalized cryospheric index (NCI) to categorize sub-watersheds on arid environments}},
author = {Christopher Ulloa and Ayon García and Anouk Beniest},
journal = {The Cryosphere},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/tc-20-5829-2026},
url = {https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/20/5829/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Introducing a new normalized cryospheric index (NCI) to categorize sub-watersheds on arid environments
AU - Christopher Ulloa
AU - Ayon García
AU - Anouk Beniest
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - The Cryosphere
DO - 10.5194/tc-20-5829-2026
UR - https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/20/5829/2026/
AB - This study examines sub-watersheds in the arid northern region of Chile (26°41 ′ –28°24 ′ S), situated within the broader Copiapó watershed. The primary water source for this watershed originates from cryospheric landforms. The region exhibits pronounced physiographic and climatic diversity, with its northern sector situated within the South American Arid Diagonal (SAAD), where cryospheric features display greater spatial isolation. The aim of this study is to quantify the water volume contributed by distinct cryospheric landforms to regional watersheds. This study employs a classification methodology to categorize cryospheric landforms within sub-watersheds, integrating an inventory of cryospheric landforms, historical snow permanence derived from satellite imagery, published ice content and depth measurements (ERT and GPR). The Normalized Cryospheric Index (NCI) is calculated for varying hydrological conditions and provides a means to compare potential water volumes across sub-watersheds. The relative weight of ice and snow in the index is derived from the observed relationship between September snow cover and melt-season streamflow (ice weight w =0.43 on average, 0.27 in wet years and 0.62 in dry years). The analysis reveals significant spatial variability in cryospheric landforms and their strategic hydrological significance. Under average and low-precipitation conditions, the southern sub-watersheds of the Copiapó watershed show the greatest water storage potential. The Montosa River (NCI = 0.72 ± 0.12), Estero Come Caballos (NCI = 0.62 ± 0.23), Del Potro River (NCI = 0.61 ± 0.18), Manflas River (NCI = 0.59 ± 0.17), and Figueroa River (NCI = 0.50 ± 0.21) sub-watersheds have been identified as strategic priority areas within the region for sustaining surface runoff and safeguarding water availability. During high-snowfall periods, northern sub-watersheds in the Copiapo watershed, such as Estero Come Caballos, show elevated NCI values despite their limited cryospheric landforms. In contrast, the Montosa, Manflas, and Del Potro sub-watersheds contain the most extensive cryospheric landforms and rank among the top of the sub-watersheds with the highest NCI scores.
SN - 1994-0424
ER -