The dynamics of contemporary glaciers in the mountains of the south of East Siberia

Abstract

An analysis is made of the glaciation status of the mountains in the south of East Siberia to reveal a number of characteristics of changes in glacier systems. It is determined that the mountain systems are all experiencing a deglaciation caused by global climatic changes, while the rates of degradation have increased considerably since the late 1980s. It is established that over the last several decades the rate of thawing of glaciers has decelerated according to data for the key sites in the Kodar, Baikal’skii, Barguzin. Munku-Sardyk and Eastern-Sayan mountain ranges, which is associated with a decrease in mean annual air temperatures in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 after the maximum values in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2007. The changes recorded in the amount of solid atmospheric precipitation do not produce any definite trends in all of the mountain systems analyzed. It is determined that, given a relatively small snow accumulation, the glaciers are fed by snow avalanches and persist due to accumulation of large reserves of cold throughout long and cold winters which impede an intense ablation and promote the sustenance of glaciation. It is pointed out that the thawing of glaciers (especially cirque glaciers) involves a decrease in their thickness, whereas their area changes little.