San Quintín Glacier
The San Quintín Glacier is the largest outflow glacier of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field in southern Chile. Its terminus is a piedmont lobe just short of the Gulf of Penas on the Pacific Ocean and just north of 47°S.
![](../I/m/San_Quintin_Glacier_1.jpg)
Recent retreat
Like many glaciers worldwide during the twentieth century, San Quintín appears to be losing mass and retreating rapidly.
![](../I/m/Shuttle_san_quintin.jpg)
These two photographs taken by astronauts only seven years apart show visible change. The first was taken by the crew of STS-068 in October 1994 and the second by the Increment 4 crew of the International Space Station in February 2002.
![](../I/m/San_Rafael_Glacier_animation.gif)
San Rafael Glacier in the foreground and San Quintín Glacier behind, showing change over the interval circa 1990–2000. Both giant glaciers have been retreating rapidly in recent years (BBC story).