ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЭКСТРЕМАЛЬНЫХ ЭКЗОГЕННЫХ ПРОЦЕССОВ В ДОЛИНЕ Р. АЛИБЕК (ЗАПАДНЫЙ КАВКАЗ)

Abstract

In the mountains, special types of geosystems are formed, whose origins are attributable to exogenic processes - debris flows, avalanches, landslides, etc. Since 2009, a regular survey of key objects and centers of heterogeneous extreme process development has been carried out for their identification and monitoring in the Central Caucasus (the Cherek- Balkarsky basin). To obtain a more complete picture of their course in the Northern Caucasus as a whole, and to track that cycle, the authors considered it expedient, beginning in 2021, to monitor also the Western Caucasus, the area of Teberda and Dombai. The article analyzes the results of expeditionary observations, as well as meteorological indicators that affect the course of extreme exogenic processes, their derivatives for 2020 and for the first eight months of 2021, from the Teberda and Terskol meteorological observatories.On the left side of the Alibek River valley, the predominant processes are talus and, to a lesser extent, avalanches. That side has a southern exposure and is arid relative to the right, northern one. On the one hand, moisture is insufficient for the successful formation of debris flows; on the other hand, sparse vegetation in the upper parts of the slope and the lower upper border of the forest do not inhibit exogenous processes.Air temperatures in Teberda are 4-5°C lower than in Balkaria. This contributes to the reduction of glacier melting, inhibiting exogenic processes. Higher moisture and the lack of grazing contribute to the formation of rich and dense vegetation, with a similar effect. This factor neutralizes the more active than in the Central Caucasus, frost weathering and high saltitudes, contributing to a higher rate of mobility of both water and debris.