Abstract
ABSTRACT As part of an archaeological research project, we investigate the geomorphology of the cold and arid study area by combining field mapping with use of orthoimages and DEM. To the north of a broad trunk valley floor, gentle slopes continuously vegetated culminate around 3000 m, while to the south steep slopes reaching to 3500 m are deeply incised and covered mainly by regolith. The basin has been intensively glaciated as evidenced by the till covering the gentler slopes, several morainic complexes, kame terraces and roches moutonnées. The present morphodynamics of this permafrost-affected basin is mainly periglacial, with blockfields, solifluction lobes, patterned ground and rock glaciers on gentle slopes to high-elevated flat terrain, and block slopes and rockfall talus on steeper slopes. Large alluvial fans at the outlet of the steep lateral valleys constrain the anastomosing channel of the Kalguty river. Active braided channels in those valleys evidence seasonal high peak discharge.
Highlights
The present study was motivated by ongoing archaeological research that began in 1990 on the Ukok Plateau (Molodin et al, 2004), a border region with Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia that is bounded by steep, high-elevated mountain ranges (Figure 1)
To address the first two objectives, we carried out a detailed geomorphological study of the upper Kalguty basin in order to establish a relative chronology of its morphodynamics since the LGM, as the petroglyph site considered as the oldest in the Ukok, Kalgutinski Rudnik, is located there (Molodin & Cheremisin, 2007)
A second morainic complex composed of nested latero-frontal ridges crosses the Klyuch Valley (Figure 3(a)), both sides of which are covered by tills; small moraines are present between this complex and Kalgutinski Rudnik
Summary
The present study was motivated by ongoing archaeological research that began in 1990 on the Ukok Plateau (Molodin et al, 2004), a border region with Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia that is bounded by steep, high-elevated mountain ranges (Figure 1). Kalguty basin provides the context for ongoing dating of Pleistocene glacier advances and inferring palaeoclimate from mass balance reconstruction, with the aim to better constrain the age of the rock carvings and the environmental conditions prevailing at that time. North of the Ulan-Dawa river correspond to secondary faults striking N10-40° The climate of this arid area of the Altai is cold desert type BWk according to Köppen-Geiger climate classification (Peel et al, 2007): mean annual air temperature is generally negative, e.g. Spatial modelling of permafrost in the Altai Mountains (Riseborough et al, 2010) suggests that continuous permafrost (i.e. ≥90% of the area) characterizes the slopes of the study area, whereas sporadic permafrost (10–50%) is present in the valley bottom (Marchenko et al, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
