Abstract
Abstract. There have been numerous studies of glaciers in the Greater Caucasus, but none that have generated a modern glacier database across the whole mountain range. Here, we present an updated and expanded glacier inventory at three time periods (1960, 1986, 2014) covering the entire Greater Caucasus. Large-scale topographic maps and satellite imagery (Corona, Landsat 5, Landsat 8 and ASTER) were used to conduct a remote-sensing survey of glacier change, and the 30 m resolution Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM; 17 November 2011) was used to determine the aspect, slope and height distribution of glaciers. Glacier margins were mapped manually and reveal that in 1960 the mountains contained 2349 glaciers with a total glacier surface area of 1674.9 ± 70.4 km2. By 1986, glacier surface area had decreased to 1482.1 ± 64.4 km2 (2209 glaciers), and by 2014 to 1193.2 ± 54.0 km2 (2020 glaciers). This represents a 28.8 ± 4.4 % (481 ± 21.2 km2) or 0.53 % yr−1 reduction in total glacier surface area between 1960 and 2014 and an increase in the rate of area loss since 1986 (0.69 % yr−1) compared to 1960–1986 (0.44 % yr−1). Glacier mean size decreased from 0.70 km2 in 1960 to 0.66 km2 in 1986 and to 0.57 km2 in 2014. This new glacier inventory has been submitted to the Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) database and can be used as a basis data set for future studies.
Highlights
Glacier inventories provide the basis for further studies on mass balance and volume change, which are relevant to localto regional-scale hydrological studies (Huss, 2012; Fischer et al, 2015) and to global calculation of sea level change (Gardner et al, 2013; Radic and Hock, 2014)
In a high mountain system such as the Greater Caucasus, glaciers are an important source of water for agricultural production, and runoff supplies several hydroelectric power stations
On 20 September 2002, for example, Kolka Glacier (North Ossetia) initiated a catastrophic ice-debris flow killing over 100 people (Evans et al, 2009), and on 17 May 2014 Devdoraki Glacier (Georgia) caused a rock–ice avalanche and glacial mudflow killing nine people (Tielidze, 2017)
Summary
Glacier inventories provide the basis for further studies on mass balance and volume change, which are relevant to localto regional-scale hydrological studies (Huss, 2012; Fischer et al, 2015) and to global calculation of sea level change (Gardner et al, 2013; Radic and Hock, 2014). In a high mountain system such as the Greater Caucasus, glaciers are an important source of water for agricultural production, and runoff supplies several hydroelectric power stations. Most rivers originate in the mountains, and the melting of glaciers/snow is an important component of the inputs in terms of water supply and for recreational opportunities (Tielidze, 2017). Glacier hazards are relatively common in this region, leading to major loss of life. The Greater Caucasus glaciers have economic importance as a major tourist attraction, e.g. Svaneti, Racha and Kazbegi regions in Georgia, with thousands of visitors each year (Georgian National Tourism Administration, 2017)
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