COORDINATES: 50° 05' N / 87° 45' E
Photo taken by Yu. K. Narozhniy on 2 July 1992.
COORDINATES: 50° 05' N / 87° 45' E
Photo taken by Yu. K. Narozhniy on 2 July 1992.
The valley-type glacier is located on the northern slope of the North Chuyskiy Range of the Russian Altai Mountains. It extends from 3,714 to 2,224 m a.s.l, its surface is 2.73 km2 and the exposure is E to N. Annual mean air temperature at the equilibrium line of the glacier (around 3,130 m a.s.l for balanced years) is -9 to -10°C. The glacier is polythermal and surrounded by continuous to discontinuous permafrost. Average annual precipitation as measured at 2,130 m a.s.l. is about 520 mm. Mass balances of three other glaciers within the same drainage basin are being monitored as well.
Both reported years nearly balanced each other. In 1993/94 snow accumulation was normal while summer season was 0.4 °C warmer than usual. This resulted in a 12% increase of ablation and in a final mass loss (0.15 m water equivalent) slightly higher than average. In 1994/95 winter was 8% more abundant in snow, while summer temperature did not reveal any anomaly, so ablation was only 4% lower than its norm, and a marked mass gain of 0.16 m water equivalent was achieved.
