evidence: A little-studied mass of ice in South America is undergoing some big changes: The Southern Patagonian Ice Field lost ice volume at a 50 percent faster rate between 2000-2012 than it did between 1975-2000, according to new analysis of digital elevation models performed by Cornell researchers. [...] Between 2000 and 2012, they said, the ice field, which is about three times the size of Rhode Island and is located in the southern Patagonia Andes of Chile and Argentina, was rapidly losing volume at many of its largest outlet glaciers. In most cases, the thinning extended to the highest elevations of the ice field. Overall, the ice field is showing significant mass loss -- about 1.5 times the loss rate recorded between 1975 and 2000 in previous studies. [...] Though it's not nearly as studied as Greenland and Antarctica, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the world's second-largest temperate (not frozen all the way through) ice field. The researchers call Patagonia a "poster child" for rapidly changing glacier systems, so studying them could be key to learning how melting cycles work and how they may be affected by climate change. Pritchard said the next step is ground-based measurements to determine the reasons behind the apparent rapid mass loss.