L’utilizzo dell’iconografia storica come contributo all’indagine glaciologica in Lombardia

Historical iconography and its contribution to the glaciological studies in Lombardy (Italy)

Abstract

The last century and the beginning of our century iconography (especially prints and then photographs taken by climbers and scientists) can offer an important contribution to paleoglaciological studies, supporting Earth Sciences methods. In fact iconography allows in a qualitative or semiquantitative way the valuation of the glacial environment and of the glaciers features changes. As an example, some pictures of the Ghiacciaio dei Forni in Valtellina (Italian Alps), starting from the half of the last century, are here produced and commented upon. From them, it is possible to draw interesting information about the strong reduction and the morphological variations of the glacier.