Final answer:
The Central Andes Mountains' glaciers are retreating due to increased climate change events, with significant contributions from global warming and higher carbon dioxide levels. This is part of a worldwide trend of glaciers melting, reducing water supplies and affecting ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The glaciers of the Central Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru have been retreating primarily as a result of more frequent and intense climate change events. In Glacier National Park, glacier recession has been documented with estimates that in 1850, there were around 150 glaciers, and by 2010, only 24 remained larger than 25 acres. Factors contributing to glacier retreat include rising temperatures and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the industrial revolution, both of which are closely linked to global warming.
The mean annual temperature in Glacier National Park has increased by 1.33°C since 1900, illustrating the marked warming trend that is driving the glacier melt. The loss of glaciers has serious implications, such as reducing summer meltwaters, which in turn sharply reduces seasonal water supplies and severely affects local ecosystems. Retreating glaciers are a global phenomenon, with even tropical glaciers like those on Mount Kilimanjaro predicted to disappear within a couple of decades.