Assessment of glacier shrinkage from the maximum in the Little Ice Age in the Suntar-Khayata Range, North-East Siberia

Abstract

This paper presents new estimates and a preliminary analysis of some key glaciers' shrinkage in the Northern and Southern massifs of the Suntar-Khayata Range, North-East Siberia, on the basis of expedition data, archived air-photo images of the 1940-s and 1970-s, and evidence of glacial changes in the Chersky Range from literary sources (Koreisha, 1991, Sheiknman, 1987). For Glaciers 29-31, located within the Northern Massif, values of linear regression for the following time slices: 1957-1970-2001 were defined. These values for, in particular, Glacier 31 were compared with mass losses in the same periods: the ratio was quite stable (equals 1.1/10 years). This argues for rather high inertia of Suntar-Khayata glaciers. Glaciers 29-31 of the same massif shrank from the Little Ice Age (LIA) until 1973 as much as 50-150 m; those in the Southern Massif (No. 141-154) showed bigger shrinkage - 100-200 m. The reason lies in difference of climatic conditions, which influenced these glacier groups. The latter are partly under Pacific cyclonic activity: winter temperatures are much higher, and precipitation is heavier, making the Southern Massif glaciers warmer (and easier to shrink) than those of the Northern Massif. The shrinkage of glaciers in the Cherskiy Range from the LIA until 1972 reached 300 m for the Obruchev Glacier (one of the biggest within the range) and 250 m for the Sumgin Glacier, which are comparable with the shrinkage of the Suntar-Khayata Northern Massif glaciers.