In memory of Carihuairazo, a recently disappeared ice cap in the inner tropics

Abstract Tropical glaciers have undergone significant shrinkage or complete disappearance due to climate change. Based on geodetic observations and remote sensing data, this study presents a comprehensive chronology of the extinction of Carihuairazo Ice Cap ( Kari-Huayra-Razu in Quichua), located in the Ecuadorian Andes, from 1956 to 2020. The cumulative glacier mass balance over the 1956–2020 period was − 31.40 m w.e. (−0.49 ± 0.04 m w.e. a −1 ), determined over three periods of ice loss 1956–2005, 2005–2011, and 2011–2020, during which the annual average mass balance was − 0.41, − 0.77 and − 0.75 m w.e. a −1 , respectively. The loss of glacier mass led to total glacier shrinkage, with a pronounced acceleration between 1978 and 1986, after which the glaciers retreated rapidly and disappeared by 2024. The ice cap experienced an average annual area loss of 3 % a −1 since the 1980s, a trend two times as high as that reported for the Antisana Ice Cap during a similar period.