These stations will enable real-time climate monitoring, aiding local agricultural planning, water resource management, and the safety of expeditions in the Aconcagua Provincial Park. The project is supported by numerous organizations, including manufacturers of meteorological instruments, universities, and local government institutions. It also includes a two-year energy balance station on the Horcones Glacier to study glacier dynamics.
It’s so important to understand mountain climatology, glacier behavior, and high-altitude environmental changes, which are critical for water resource sustainability in the Andes, among other things. The stations will provide valuable data on temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and solar radiation, improving weather forecasting and safety in the region. Additionally, the information from these stations is expected to mitigate risks associated with phenomena like heatwaves, storms, and glacial lake formation.
International collaboration #
The collaboration was a blend of expertise, resources, and support from multiple countries and institutions. Researchers from Argentina, Nevada (USA), and London (UK) formed the core team for this initiative. Each contributed unique skills—ranging from climatology and glacier studies to designing and installing high-altitude meteorological stations. This international partnership also leveraged previous experience from similar projects, like expeditions from leaders in this one, who where on Mount Everest and the Andes Tropicales.
The financial and logistical support was just as critical. Universities like the University of Nevada funded much of the expedition, while equipment manufacturers like Campbell Scientific, OTT Hydromet, RM Young, Mount Washington Observatory & Lightning Master where involved in including essential station components. Local governmental bodies in Mendoza, including Department of Irrigation, helped with permissions and on-ground logistics. Moreover, mountain guides, porters, and companies like INKA Expediciones provided operational support in these challenging terrains.
This global effort demonstrated the strength of interdisciplinary and cross-border collaboration in tackling complex scientific challenges and lack of funding from Argentina institutions.
Climate monitoring #
The climate monitoring will be better from now with the installation of this bunch of automatic meteorological stations at various altitudes on Mount Aconcagua. Its worth remark that these stations will provide real-time data on temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and solar radiation. This information is critical nor just for local agricultural planning, water resource management, besides ensuring the expeditions safety in the Aconcagua Provincial Park.
The project addressed the challenges of mountain climatology, where altitudinal and topographical factors make weather patterns complex. It fills a significant gap in instrumental climatic data, aiding the understanding and modeling of water resource availability. Additionally, the stations contribute to the environmental management of the park, including mitigating risks associated with storms, heatwaves, and glacier dynamics, we just considered some lines above. This effort is seen as a cornerstone for enhancing weather forecasting and promoting sustainable management of the region’s natural resources.
Specific data collected by the meteorological stations #
We need to remark that the meteorological stations installed on Mount Aconcagua collect hourly data on key atmospheric variables:
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Temperature
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Humidity
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Atmospheric pressure
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Wind speed and direction
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Precipitation levels
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Solar radiation
Women in the expedition #
Mariana Correas González, a postdoctoral fellow at CONICET in IANIGLA and one of the women who participated in the expedition, expressed great pride in being part of the Wayra Project. She highlighted that the installation of the meteorological stations contributes significantly to high-altitude atmospheric monitoring, the management of the Aconcagua Provincial Park, and the expansion of the IANIGLA’s network of stations, which has been in development for over a decade.
She also mentioned that the experience was enriching both professionally and personally. Correas González emphasized the honor and responsibility of representing women scientists from IANIGLA in a physically and mentally challenging expedition. Moreover, she noted the significance of this effort in raising visibility and strengthening the role of women in impactful scientific research.
All images published in this article must be credited to Pablo Betancourt.