Glacier retreat analysis using satellite images: study of the Adamello glacier and a Patagonian case

The progressive retreat of glaciers, driven by rising average temperature and decreasing snowfall, is one of the most evident effects of climate change. This thesis aims to analyze this phenomenon through satellite images analysis, focusing on the case study of the Adamello Glacier, located in the Italian Alps between Lombardia and Trentino Alto Adige. Specifically, the reduction in glacier area is examined using MODIS and Sentinel-2 datasets, with the goal of developing an open-source methodology for assessing glacier shrinkage that can be easily replicated in other case studies. Furthermore, this study extends the same methodology to a glacier in Patagonia, aiming to draw meaningful insights from this comparison. Finally, the results from the Patagonian case study are analyzed in relation to climate parameters to explore potential correlations between glacial retreat and climatic variability.