From a Glacier's Perspective

June 27, 2017

Mensu Glacier, Siberia Russia Retreat 1994-2016

Mensu Glacier, Russia in comparison of 1994 and 2016 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 1994 terminus, yellow arrow 2016 terminus, purple arrow a tributary and purple dots the snowline. Mensu Glacier (Lednik Mensu) drains northeast from Gora Belukha in the Russian Altai. The glacier drains into the Ob River and then the Arctic Ocean. This glacier has not been the focus of detailed research to date. Khromova et al (2014) report …

August 25, 2016

Kronotsky Peninsula, Kamchatka Glacier Fragmentation/Retreat

The Kronotsky Peninsula is on the east coast of Kamchatka and has an small concentration of alpine glaciers. A recent paper by Lynch et al (2016) indicates a significant recession during the start of the 21st century in Kamchatka. They note a 24% loss in area, leading to fragmentation and an increase in the number of ice masses that could be considered glaciers. Lynch et al (2016) further note that the …

April 28, 2016

Krayniy Glacier Retreat, Novaya Zemlya

Krayniy Glacier (Ky) comparison in 1990 and 2015 Landsat images. Red arrow is 1990 terminus and yellow arrow is the 2015 terminus. Purple arrows indicate upglacier thinning and green arrow a location of a glacier dammed lake. Krayniy Glacier is an outlet glacier that drains the northern side of the Novaya Zemlya Ice Cap into the Barents Sea. This outlet glacier is just southwest of Tasija Glacier (T) and like that glacier …

July 30, 2015

Lednik Midagrabin Retreat, Caucasus, Russia

Lednik Midagrabin is a large glacier draining northwest from Gora Dzhimara in North Ossetia, Russia. Stokes et al (2006) examined Caucasus glaciers during the 1985-2000 period and found that 94% of the glaciers have retreated, 4% exhibited no overall change and 2% advanced. The mean retreat rate is 8 m/year, with the largest glacier retreating the fastest. Shahgedanova et al (2009) observed that the retreat was driven by a large rise in summer …

April 20, 2015

Dzhikiugankez Glacier Poised to Melt Away, Mount Elbrus, Russia.

Dzhikiugankez Glacier (Frozen Lake) is a large glacier on the northeast side of Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in the Caucasus Range. The primary portion of the glacier indicated in the map of the region does not extend to the upper mountain, the adjoining glacier extending to the submit is the Kynchyr Syrt Glacier. The glacier is 5 km long extending from 4000 m to 3200 m. Shahgedanova et al …

January 1, 2012

Irik Glacier Retreat, Mount Elbrus, Russia

Irik Glacier flows down the southeast flank of Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia, red arrow on map points to current terminus of Irik Glacier, top image. The map terminus extended 1 kilometer further down the mountain. The glacier currently begins at 5000 m and descends to 2800 m, bottom image orange arrows indicate main accumulation areas, this compares to a terminus elevation of 2600 …