Glacier runoff and regime of rivers with glacial power (a case of study: Naryn river, Kyrgyzstan)

Abstract

In this paper, we considered the glacial runoff of the Bolshoi and Kichi Naryn rivers, as well as their large tributaries which are main sources of the Toktogul water reservoir. Taking into account that rivers with glacier melting feeding form their water flow mostly during summer months, it would be interesting to analyse their water regime during warm seasons. All tributaries of the Naryn River demonstrate the runoff decrease from June to August; while the main channels of the Chon and Kichi Naryn themselves have another dynamic. In July, the seasonal snow cover already melted and the runoff formation occurs as a result of glacier melting that depend on monthly average temperatures. In August, the monthly amounts of precipitation and temperatures have decreasing trends that lead to immediate decline of the runoff volumes. Interestingly those fluctuations of precipitation and air temperatures and their impact on the glacier runoff forming have little impact on the total runoff volume of rivers. So, the glacial component in the run-off forming has exceptional value for the Naryn River during the summer period.