Research project BL/R/06 (Research action BL)
PARTNERS :
Dr. MISTRIUKOV A., United Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy (UIGGM), Novosibirsk
Prof. DOBRETSOV N., Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SBRAS)
The project is aimed to evaluate the relationship between climatic variations and glacier fluctuations in the Altai Moutains, Central Asia, one the one hand by studying the glacier variations during the Pleistocene and Holocene and on the other hand by analysing historical variations and investigating the sensitivity of the present glaciers to a potential greenhouse warming. The knowledge of the relationship between glacier variations and climatic change in Central Asia is poor due to our meager understanding of the changing mass balance patterns in the continental interiors with changing global climate. Moreover, there are indications that the glaciers in the Altai-Sayan are diappearing rapidly. Furthermore, the mere existence of the glaciers in the Altai-Sayan regio is of utmost importance for the general hydrological conditions as well as from a touristic economical point of vue.
The approach is multidisciplinary, i.e. on the basis of geomorphology and glacial-geology and on glaciological monitoring and modelling. A number of test cases are studied in the Northern and Southern Chuya Range.
