Sketch maps of the glaciers of Chimborazo, the highest mountain of the Ecuadorean Andes, are the result of work by Whymper (1892), Meyer (1907), and Sauer (1971). In recent decades, topographic maps based on aerial photogrammetry have been produced for part of the Andes Mountains at scales of 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. (Refer to Hastenrath (1981) and table 2 for a detailed listing of these maps.) In addition, systematic mapping of glaciers during the 1970's (Hastenrath, 1981) combined fieldwork with evaluation of aerial photographs and topographic maps.
A detailed study of Cotopaxi, a combination of fieldwork and analytical aerial photogrammetry using the STEREOCORD (an analytical photogrammetric instrument) was completed in 1983 (Jordan, 1984). Regrettably, the official maps do not distinguish between snow and glacier surfaces; instead, all 3 surface areas covered with snow are reproduced on the aerial graph by blue contour lines. As a result, a series of summits, which do not have any glaciers, appear to have glaciers on them because of the cartographic illustration method, or they show ice surface areas that are larger than the actual glacier cover. This is particularly true of the glacier areas of summits around and below 5,000 m, such as those on Cotacachi, Sincholagua, Quilindaña, Cerro Hermoso, Tungurahua, Cubillín, Collay, and Cerro Ayapungo.
Table 2.--Maps of the glacierized mountains of Ecuador
[The maps listed are topographic maps unless otherwise indicated. All are available from the Instituto Geográfico Militar, Quito, Ecuador. The 1:100,000-scale topographic maps are part of Series J 621. The 1:50,000-scale maps are part of Series J 721. The 1:25,000-scale maps are part of Series J 821]
|
Glacierized area |
Scale |
Map information |
|---|---|---|
|
Cordillera Occidental |
||
|
Cotacachi |
1:50,000 |
CC N III-D3 (Plaza Gutiérrez) censo 40 |
|
|
1:25,000 |
Plancheta 2 de hoja 28 (Cotacachi) |
|
Iliniza |
1:50,000 |
N III-C3 (San Roque) (3892-III) |
|
Iliniza |
1:25,000 |
N III-C3b (Río Zarapullo) (3892-III-NE) |
|
Chimborazo-Carihuairazo |
1:50,000 |
N IV-A3 (Simiatug) (3890-III) |
|
Cordillera Oriental |
||
|
Cayambe |
1:50,000 |
CC N II-F4 (Cayambe) censo 65 |
|
Saraurcu |
1:50,000 |
CC O III-A1 (Saraurcu) censo 80 |
|
Antisana |
1:50,000 |
N III-D2 (Papallacta) censo 114 |
|
|
1:25,000 |
N III-D2c (Antisana) |
|
Sincholagua |
1:50,000 |
N III-D1 (Pintag) (3992-IV) |
|
|
1:25,000 |
N III-D1d (La Cocha) (3992-IV-SE) |
|
Cotopaxi |
1:50,000 |
N III-C4 (Machachi) (3892-II) |
|
|
1:25,000 |
N III-D3c (Río Pita) (3992-III-SW) |
|
Quilindaña |
1:50,000 |
N III-F1 (Cotopaxi) (3991-IV) |
|
|
1:25,000 |
N III-F4 (Chalupas) censo 152 |
|
Cerro Hermoso |
1:50,000 |
N IV-B3 (Sucre) (3990-III) |
|
Tungurahua |
1:50,000 |
N IV-D1 (Banos) censo 173 |
|
Altar |
1:50,000 |
N IV-D3 (El Pungal) censo 180 |
|
Cubillín |
1:50,000 |
N IV-F1 (Huamboya) censo 187 |
|
Sangay |
|
Not available |
|
Collay |
1:100,000 |
Sheet 71 (Alausi) published 1975 (Geologic map) |
|
|
1:50,000 |
N V-A4 (Totoras) |
|
Cerro Ayapungo |
1:100,000 |
Sheet 71 (Alausi) published 1975 (Geologic map) |
|
|
1:50,000 |
N V-A4 (Totoras) |
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U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.Department of the Interior