Environ Earth Sci (2015) 74:1957–1968 DOI 10.1007/s12665-015-4446-z

THEMATIC ISSUE

Inventory of nival-glacial geosystems in Lake Baikal area (East Siberia, Russia) E. N. Ivanov1,2 • V. M. Plyusnin1,2 • A. D. Kitov1 • S. N. Kovalenko2 I. V. Balyazin1 • A. P. Sofronov1

•

Received: 31 October 2014 / Accepted: 18 April 2015 / Published online: 28 May 2015 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Abstract Glaciers in Lake Baikal Area were plotted on topographic and tourist maps, but often big perennial snow patches were designated as glaciers. A special study of these entities to classify them in one group or another was necessary. Recently published data of remote sensing (satellite images) of high resolution allow distinguishing a variety of snow and ice objects (accurate to 0.5 m). In identifying sustainable nival-glacial formations it was necessary to measure the characteristic parameters of these objects and their boundaries using topographic maps, satellite images, and GPS devices. The GIS project and the database of nival-glacial formations for the quantitative analysis of the accumulated information have been created. The glaciers of mountain ridges of East Siberia significantly reduced in thickness for the last decades, and their abrupt degradation is manifested in the last 5–10 years. The main glaciers of the Barguzinskiy ridge decreases with 0.002 km2 year-1 that is comparable with the reduction rate of the glaciers of the Eastern Sayan ridge, but is less than of the representative of the Kodar ridge the Azarovoy glacier. Keywords Barguzinskiy ridge
Baikalskiy ridge
Database
Glaciers
Lake Baikal
Nival-glacial formations
Satellite images

& E. N. Ivanov [email protected] 1

Geomorphological Laboratory, V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Batorskaya 1, 664033 Irkutsk, Russia

2

Natural-geography faculty, East-Siberian State Academy of Education, Zhelyabova 2, 664011 Irkutsk, Russia

Introduction Global warming is reviling not only in reducing the circumpolar ice shields of the Planet, but in a condition of mountain glaciers. Small glaciers of south of Eastern Siberia are sensitive to such changes and they can serve as indicators of the rate of climate change. The sensitivity of glaciers to the average summer temperature was shown on the example of Altai glaciers (Galakhov et al. 2013). For example, the Maly Aktru glacier was changing in proportion to a temperature between 1952 and 1996 years: it was growing at a rate ?9.9 g/sm2/year under the temperature of 5.51 °C, it was not changing under the temperature of 5.61 °C, and it was reducing at a rate -9.4 g/sm2/year under the temperature 5.85 °C (Galakhov et al. 2013). Osipova O.P. and Osipov E.Y. noted the same trend: the presence of the links between the changes in summer temperatures in alpine zone and regional patterns of atmospheric circulation has been established. The strong interannual variability of the meridional circulation over the Eastern Sayan at the beginning of the 21st century is related to the interannual summer temperature changes and extreme meteorological processes in the mountains areas (Osipova and Osipov 2015). The trend of decreasing glaciers observed in almost all the mountain ridges of south of Eastern Siberia. The glaciation of the region lost about 51 % from the maximum of the LIA, ELA average uplift was 89 m. Maximal changes were observed between 1995 and 2008, when areas of the glaciers decreased with the average rate 1–2 % year. (Ganiushkin et al. 2015). Over the past 110 years the area of perennial snow patches in the Kuznetsk Alatau mountains had reduced by 90 % (Adamenko et al. 2015).

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An essential increase of the rate of glaciers reduction is observing in almost all regions of the Planet (Raper and Braithwaite 2005; Dyurgerov and Meier 2005). This is a serious concern, because ultimately it leads to the reduction and disappearance of fresh water sources and to the increase of sea level (Dyurgerov and Meier 2005). In the current conditions the contribution of the ‘‘small’’ glaciers in the sea level rises is very serious, and for the period 1994–2004 it was 0.22–0.77 mm year-1, while the contribution of Greenland and Antarctica was estimated as 0.1–0.2 and 0.2–0.35 mm year-1, respectively (IPCC 2007). The mountain ridges contiguous north part of Lake Baikal: Baikalskiy, Verkhneangarskiy from the north and the Barguzinskiy from the east. We consider the Barguzinskiy and the Baikalskiy ridges from the standpoint of the recent mountain glaciation (Fig. 1). Based on fieldworks and analyses of satellite image, the glaciers of the Barguzinskiy (Fig. 2) and Baikalskiy (Fig. 3) ridges were allowed discovered in the early 1980s (Hodiy 1976; Dolgushin and Osipova 1989; Koshelev 2000; Plyusnin 2003). However, until now, these glaciers were not represented in the Inventory of glaciers of the USSR (1960–1980) and still have not been studied in detail (Katalog 1972, 1973). In 2011–2013 the V.B.Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS performed special field studies for the inventory of snow and ice formations on the Barguzinskiy ridge (Kovalenko and Kitov 2011; Kovalenko et al. 2012). At the same time (mid- 1950s to the 1960s) as a result of massive topographical works glaciers of the Baikalskiy ridge were plotted on topographic maps (Baikalskiy 2004). In the mid-1970s in the media, there were reports of

Fig. 1 The mountain ridges of the Northern Cisbaikalia, areas of research: 1—Barguzinskiy ridge; 2—Baikalskiy ridge

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tourists to visit the main glaciers of the Baikalskiy ridge near Mount Cherskogo (Hodiy 1976; Koshelev 1978, 2000; Briynskiy 1983). Glaciers were plotted on topographic and tourist maps (Koshelev 2000), but often big perennial snow patches were designated as glaciers. A special study of these entities to classify them in one group or another was necessary. Recently published data of remote sensing (satellite images) of high resolution allow distinguishing a variety of natural snow and ice objects (accurate to 0.5 m). In identifying sustainable nival-glacial landforms it was necessary to measure the characteristic parameters of these objects and their boundaries using topographic maps, satellite images, and GPS devices.

Regional setting The Barguzinskiy ridge The Barguzinskiy ridge (Fig. 2) is located in Buryatia on the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal. Its length is 280 km, the maximum width is 90 km, and the highest point is 2841 m above sea level (a.s.l). The eastern slopes are very steep, often rocky, treeless and gently sloping towards Lake Baikal. There are three morphological levels. The first—a low-mountain level is located within the altitudinal belt of 600–1000 m a.s.l. Its relief is smooth, slightly dissected, and the slopes are gentle or moderate, transformed by slope erosion and creep, good moisturized, covered with dark taiga with thick undergrowth. The second—a mid mountain level (1600–1800 m a.s.l) is represented by massive direct and convex side slopes in 30–40° with individual outcrops of bedrock and steep rocky walls. The slopes are covered with a continuous cover of colluvial formations and cut by erosion gullies and avalanche chutes. Often the snow patches on the watersheds slopes of northern and eastern aspect in depressions are formed by drifting. The third level (1800–2800 m a.s.l) is represented by an exaration relief: cirques, karlings, and troughs. The cirques are oriented to north, northeast and southeast. Their accommodation in the diagram gives the concentration at levels in 1600, 1700, 1800, 2000 and 2100 m a.s.l (Budaev 1981). Northern areas of Lake Baikal differ from the southern by shorter duration of sunshine: 1800 h against 2000–2200, less frost-free period 102 days (in the south 124), smaller sum of temperatures over 10, 846 °C (1204 °C in the south), the average air temperature do not exceed -3.3 °C. January average air temperatures of the Barguzinskiy ridge are about -24 and -28 °C, in July ?8 °C, in April and October -8 °C, and the annual precipitation is 1200 mm (Baikal 1993, 2009). Snow cover is over 100 cm. On the western slopes the most avalanches are associated with

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Fig. 2 Study area of the Barguzinskiy ridge: 1—nivalglacial landform places; 2— main peaks (altitude); 3—relief; 4—a key area no. 1 from Fig. 1; 5—rivers; 6—lakes

snowfalls, while on the eastern slopes a main role in avalanche activity is played by blizzards and sublimation of snow (Laptev 1989). The main share of nival-glacial landforms lies in the continuous permafrost thicknesses up to 100 m. The Baikalskiy ridge Western shore of Lake Baikal in the north forms the Baikalskiy ridge. The eastern slopes drop steeply to the lake. The northern part of the ridge from the Cape Kotelnikovsky departs to the west of Lake Baikal in 25–30 km. The southern slopes of low mountains are occupied by steppe areas, interspersed with forest strips running down the gullies. Within the coastal belt the snow depth reaches 50–70 cm. The snow is usually loose and recrystallized. The medium belt is located at 1200–1800 m a.s.l. Within

this zone the river valleys are deep, canyons are widespread. Snow in valleys is deep and loose, only in March ice crust appears just above the forest limit. An alpine zone (1900–2100 m a.s.l) occupies the central part of the Baikalskiy ridge. Steep slopes are cut by couloirs system along which avalanches descend. The avalanche danger in the headwaters of the rivers is significant, especially on the western slopes. For all the headwaters of the rivers mountain circus with almost vertical rock walls are typical, they reach the height of several hundred meters. The traces of ancient glaciation–circuses, curly rocks, rockbars and ice-dressed rocks are widespread (Aleshin 1982). A glacier changes have impact on ecosystem of pro-glacial lakes (Vorobyeva et al. 2015). The area is very rich in rainfall, but the height and density of the snow cover are different. In the mountains the snow depth is increasing up to 1.5 m. At the border of

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Fig. 3 Study area no. 2 from Fig. 1 of the Baikalskiy ridge: 1—main peaks (altitudes); 2— line of the ridge; 3—state nivalglacial landforms in the present; 4—glaciers in the 1960s; 5— numbers of glaciers (01— Cherskogo glacier, 02— Solnechniy glacier); Background—satellite image by Google Earth (Pleiades 31/08/ 2013)

the forest, its average thickness is 2.5 m larger. There is much snow on the western slopes and in the northern part of the ridge. Within golets area snow is blown away by strong western winds, causing the snow depth reduction, snow is compacted there, but powerful and extensive cornices accumulate on the leeward slopes. Currently in the Baikalskiy ridge there are several glaciers. The biggest of them is located in the southeast cirque of the Mount Cherskogo (2588 m a.s.l) about 18 km to the west of the northern basin of Lake Baikal. According to our GPS measurements it is located at an altitude of 1780–2040 m a.s.l. The length of the glacier is 0.91 km, width -0.65 km, area -0.44 km2, up to 50 m. According to others glacier located at an altitude of 1796–2138 m, length 0.93 km, the area 0.4 km2 (Osipov and Osipova 2014). Solnechniy glacier is located in the canopy cirque. It is not a classic look like Cherskogo glacier, and consists of several parts. On maps (1962) it is marked small glacier, much smaller than at present. Probably it is an error of recognition aerial photographs on which great firn surveyors took part for the snowfield. However, the study of satellite images from the 1990s, talks about his stable condition. It is most likely that Cherskogo (01) and Solnechniy (02) glaciers were one glacier in the Little Ice Age (LIA). During the field work of The V.B.Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS in 2010 were made GPS measurement of these two glaciers and glaciological description (Plyusnin and Kitov 2010).

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Methods As the primary information about glaciers on the Barguzinskiy and Baikalskiy ridges we took the data from topographic maps (1: 50,000) of the 1960s. For identification of the current state, definition of boundaries and structural features of snow and ice formations we preferred to use remote sensing methods, for example., WorldView-1 (spatial resolution 0.5 m), allowing us to identify geomorphological details of the objects, and Landsat (spatial resolution 15–30 m), allowing us to follow the dynamics (shooting frequency—twice in a month) and to type objects (multispectral analysis). Using remote sensing data to analyze glaciers is confirmed by similar studies (Methods 2012; Nosenko et al. 2010, 2013). Preparation of raster map layers (topographic map and satellite images) was performed using a package ENVI. All cartographic materials and satellite images were converted to Gauss–Kru¨ger projection (Pulkovo-1942, WGS-84, zone 19), without orto-transformation, but satellite images were additionally bridged to topographic maps by characteristic reference points. Originally the bridging procedure (registration) was performed for topographic maps for the five reference points (4 corners and one central, error up to 3 m). Then we created different versions of synthesis from remote sensing data, which were bridged to the topographic map (Kitov 2010).

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We used Landsat satellite images -5, -7, and -8 for the analysis of landscape structure and nival-glacial landforms. A large number of gray shades (65,536) and a good spatial resolution (0.5 m) of satellite images WorldView-1 (September 2008) helped to clarify the boundaries of the glaciers, their moraines and snow patches near. In the interpretation of Landsat images, we used the channels synthesis of 2, 4 and 7. In the 7th, infrared channel of the spectrum the heated open stony objects appear in bright hues, and the cold ones, as water and ice in dark hues. In the 4th channel of the IR spectrum the cold and wet objects appear in dark shades, but fresh snow looks brighter, and in the green the 2nd range visible objects (white snow and ice) are displayed more clearly. The nivalglacial landforms appear in contrast in the synthesis of 2, 4 and 7. If we can compare satellite images with aerial photography, the best way is the channels synthesis of 1, 2 and 3, but in this case channel 1 provides additional turbidity, especially in fog. This effect could be mitigated using the synthesis of 2, 3 and 4. We used different variants of synthesis at interpreting, but the most successful were channels 2, 4 and 7. The analysis of July–August satellite images from 1992 to 2013 shows that the typical state of nival-glacial formations is clearly detected base on the snapshot Landsat-7 from 24/08/2010 and the image of 2011. The year of 2012 was less favorable, because of rainy weather, so the most snow patches have melted; glaciers were actively covered by debris material due to rockfalls. Unfortunately, inclement weather prevented to obtain cloudless shooting in July and August of this year. It was noted that the perennial snow patches reduced to the minimum size in the September snapshots. The satellite images of 2010 and 2013 represent the current state of the nival-glacial formations. And the satellite image in 2013 was made at the same day, when we were working on the Uryol-Amutis glacier (No. 160). For the Baikalskiy ridge near Mount Cherskogo in 2013 it became possible to use high-resolution data type WorldView-2 of Google Earth. We used software package ArcView in the GIS project (creation of vector layers and attribute databases).The database was compiled by the accepted rules (Rukovodstvo 1966), taking into account the possible integration into the international database (Methods 2012; WGMS 2015; WEBGEO 2015). Measuring methods were as follows. We created three ‘‘themes’’ (vector layers) in ArcView: dotted (center of the glacier, the upper and lower marks), linear (axial line of the glacier) and polygonal (the landform, limited). After drawing the contour of the object, we run a centerline from the lower end to the upper reaches of the longest of its feeder streams. In the beginning, at the end and in the middle of the centerline we marked the relevant points.

1961

Using special scripts in ArcView we entered the automatically calculated parameters into the attribute table of relevant ‘‘themes’’: coordinates of the center of the glacier, length, perimeter, area, and height of the upper and lower marks (Table 1). The actual length of the glacier is the length of the axis, the perimeter is the length of the contour line, and the upper and lower limits are the value of the relief contour at its intersection with the centerline. We used the vector layer of contours constructed from a digital elevation of the model SRTM3, extrapolated to 10 m and adjusted according with the topographic map. The classification code of the glacier should be SU5B16000xxx, where xxx is the number of nival-glacial formations. Into the summary table (DB) (one is corresponding to the topographic maps, the other to the remote sensing data) we make entry of respectively 20 basic parameters: code, name of the glacier, latitude, longitude, length, total area, etc. In the Baikalskiy ridge the Cherskogo (01) and Solnechny (02) glaciers are located in the headwaters of the Kurkula River, and on the other side of the ridge there is the Skriytiy glacier (06), in the narrow northern cirque in the origin of the Verhniy Ireli River, the tributary of the Ulkan River (Fig. 3). These nival-glacial formations survived as glaciers and nival-glacial formations 03, 04, and 05 moved to the stage of perennial snow patches.

Results and discussion The snow–ice formation interpreted from the Landsat and WorldView-1 images, judging on their small size, low expressed contemporary moraine complex and deep placement in the cirques, are small nival-glacial landforms. During expeditionary studies we identified all representatives of the raw: ‘‘seasonal snow patches—permanent snow patches–perennial snow patches small glacier’’, showing the transitional forms of the genetic chain ‘‘snowfieldglacier’’ (Kovalenko 2011). One of the features of the Barguzinskiy glaciers is their low altitudinal location (1540–2390 m a.s.l). As in the Baikalskiy ridge the snow line is located here at the height of about 1750 and 1350 m below the theoretical snow line (Aleshin 1982). Glaciers and snow patches are located in negative relief forms—cirques and niches, mainly of northern exposure. Pinus pumila gets almost to the top, and often is on the same level with the high-altitude snow and ice objects. The Barguzinskiy ridge According to topographic maps, the most nival-glacial landforms at are concentrated in catchments of the Akuli

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Table 1 Current state (2010) of the glaciers (type 1 and 2) of the Barguzinskiy ridge according to satellite imagery Catalog number of the nival-glacial landforms from the DB, name

Area (km2)

Length (km)

Limits (m a.s.l) Upper

Group (type)

Lower

The Tompuda River basin 65, MELKOOZERNY

0.020

0.44

2200

1930

2

74, GLADKY

0.019

0.24

2130

1900

2

0.021

0.13

2100

1860

2

0.060

0.27

2330

2100

1

145

0.071

0.29

2040

1830

2

159

0.041

0.37

2130

1940

2

160, URYOL-AMUTIS

0.136

0.60

2260

2010

1

The Pravaya Frolikha River basin 93, POTAYNOY The Svetlaya River basin 127, AKULY The Tala Svetlinskaya River basin

and Svetlaya Rivers near the Akulimashkit peak (2436 m a.s.l). Areas of glacier in satellite images were less and looked severely dissected than those in the topographic maps. We identified the largest Akuli glacier (No. 127), 0.06 km2 near the Akulimashkit Peak (Table 1). According to the satellite images, it is covered by moraines, and the lower part in 500 m long, down to the pro-glacial lake. The lower 500 m long area of historical moraines is highly heterogeneous, has narrow ridges and valleys up to 5–8 m depth with the remnants of ice and snow. In its lower part on flatter sites sedge-moss meadows were formed. The upper ridges of the moraines are covered with lichen, probably formed in the LIA. We took rhizocarpon geographicum as model used other authors (Solomina et al. 2010; Galanin 2012). In the present, the glacier retreated 50–100 m forming a rocky flat strip on a bed of ice. A recent formed moraine (3–4 m height) leaned to the main moraine. The flatter part of the tongue in the cirque’s bed, fragmentary covered with fine detrital material, 150–200 m long has a sharp lower edge with a shoulder of 1–1.5 m high. The glacier is about 50–70 m in thickness. The glacier was not covered by any stone–debris material base on the Landsat of 1992. However, in the present, we noticed ice–rock landform with traces of pushing and thawing at the left and the right sidewalls of the cirque. The largest Uryol-Amutis glacier No. 160 (Table 1) is located in the catchment of the Tala Svetlinskaya River at the top marked with 2377 m a.s.l. (Figures 4, 5). The glacier has a moraine descending steeply to the pro-glacial lake. This glacier was photographed in 1985, 2011 and 2013 (Fig. 4), with GPS measurements of the area and the main bergshrund limit in 2013 (Koshelev 2000; Kovalenko and Kitov 2011; Kitov et al. 2013). According to the results of GPS data, the lower boundary of its tongue is at 1975 m,

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the lower boundary of firn is at 2070 m, and the main line of the bergshrund extending more than 5 m deep into the ice is at 2115 m a.s.l. (Figure 5). There are ample amount of cross-cracks. In the present, the length of the ablation zone is about 350 m, the firn zone up to bergshrund is about 150 m, the steep section is about 150 m, and the feeding firn flow of the glacier is about 100 m. The surface outflow from the glacier goes under the moraine. The photograph from the 1985 shows the glacier was significantly large with snowfield at the left side compared to one in 2013 (Fig. 4c, d). The glacier decreased in thickness, according to the height of moraines, about 10 m over the past 50–100 years. It retracted from the bottom and from the left side (100–150 m) and almost kept the border from the right shaded edge. There are small glaciers (157, 158 and 159) near to the Uryol-Amutis glacier. The rock glacier (No. 157) is covered with debris material. The landform 158 degraded in the snowfield (type 4). It is most likely these glaciers are parts of the largest glacier at the past. The remaining glaciers (No. 64–71, 145–149) are located in neighboring cirques of the eastern and western slopes of the ridge (at the altitudes of 2100–2300 m a.s.l) and feed Tompuda snow patches of the Tala Svetlinskaya Rivers, significantly degraded and moved to the stage of perennial snow patches or rock glaciers. The glacier No. 145 is preserved in the form subslope. Glaciers No. 93 and 74 are located near the watershed of the ridge, between the Tompuda and Pravaya Frolikha Rivers (the Zamok peak 1160 m a.s.l), have been preserved in the shaded cirques at the altitudes of 1100–2200 m a.s.l. On the open southern slopes only perennial snow patches are saved (No. 72, 73).

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1963

Fig. 4 The Uryol-Amutis glacier: a bottom of the tongue in 2011; b and c in 2013; d in 1985, adapted from Koshelev (2000)

The Baikalskiy ridge Five glaciers were showed topographic maps in near the Mount Cherskogo (Fig. 3) in the 1960s. In the present, there are only three cirque glaciers (01, 02, and 06). The main glacier (01) is the most stable. Its dynamics is shown in Fig. 6. Over the past half-century, areas of glaciers 01, 02 and 06 reduced by 21 %, those of glaciers 03–05 decreased by 68 % and turned into 3rd and 4th groups (Table 2). Baikalskiy ridge has fewer glaciers than Barguzinskiy ridge. On topographic maps were allocated six nival-glacial formations, and at the Barguzinskiy ridge 187. Of these, only three survived glaciers, and the rest went to the stage of perennial snow patches (Table 2). The Skryitiy glacier belongs to the source of the tributary of Verkhniy Ireli river and placed in a narrow cirque on the west side of the ridge (in the Irkutsk region). This glacier is preserved thanks to a narrow punishment northern exposure. The steep walls of the glacier cirque shade make it difficult to isolate the boundaries on remote sensing data, as well as to study it by land methods. This glacier is assigned number 06. It should have classification code-SU5D17201001. As a result of studies, we have distinguished the four groups (types) of nival-glacial landforms. The first group (typical cirque glacier) includes Uryol-Amutis (160) and

Akuli (127) glaciers in the Barguzinskiy ridge and Cherskogo glacier (01) in the Baikalskiy ridge. They are located at altitudes of 1970–2290 m a.s.l. (Tables 1, 2). The Akuli glacier (127) degraded more severely. Its lower flat part is hidden by surface moraines. Its terminal moraine is less pronounced and has not blocked the moraine of previous stage of glaciation. Over the same period it retreated back about 100 m deeper and 5 m aside and takes the area twice less than the Uryol-Amutis. The Cherskogo glacier (01) was almost unchanged for the last 50 years (Fig. 6). Not matching the size of the glacier on the results of various studies (Osipov and Osipova 2014), due to seasonal changes in boundaries and precision instruments used. The glacier has an additional avalanche food. In August 2010, the authors observed an avalanche with the overlying snow, increase its height along the gully, in which avalanche there is the problem of distinguishing the glacier, and there are no strict rules for their definitions. The second group of glaciers is represented by degraded niche glaciers which exist due to the northern aspect and steep cirque walls (Tables 1, 2). Their lower flattened part at the base of a steep slope in the form of snow and firn fields usually hides the outgoing rock glacier. Typical representatives of these entities are glaciers: No. 157, 159, the Potaynoy glacier (No. 93) in the headwaters of the

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Fig. 5 Reconstructed area of the Uryol-Amutis glacier (No. 160): 1—the 1960s (topographic maps); 2—1992 (Landsat-5); 3—2010 (Landsat-7); 4—bergshrund; 5—the lower limit of the glacier; 6— pro-glacial lakes; 7—number of the glacier; 8—altitudes. Landsat-8 is background

Fig. 6 The Cherskogo glacier (01) of the Baikalskiy ridge: 1—an ancient moraine formed after the LIA; 2—a position of the glaciers in 1962, 1962; 3—the Landsat-7, 2002; 4—the Landsat-7, 2010. The background is satellite image Pleiades 31/08/2013 from Google Earth

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tributary of the Pravaya Frolikha River and the Nastenny glacier (No. 74) under the Gladky peak (2224 m a.s.l). The glacial niche part is usually ‘‘pasted’’ to the rock wall at a height of 2000–2100 m a.s.l, and a part of the tongue in the cirque’s bed is located at altitudes in1800–2000 m a.s.l (Kovalenko and Kitov 2011; Kovalenko et al. 2012). The niche part of these glaciers is almost not noticeable on aerial and satellite images. Baikalskiy glaciers Skryitiy (06) and Solnechniy (02) were related to this group, too. However, for Skryitiy glacier characteristic features of Barguzinskiy glaciers and Solnechniy glacier saved only through northern exposure. According to Stokes and other (Stokes et al. 2013) about Kodar ridge glaciations for 15-year period, significant relationships between an exposition and a shrinkage of modern ice area are absent. However, in fact, the most of extant glaciers have a northern exposition. It shows the relationship between shrinkage and an exposition of glaciers for a long time period. The glaciers of The Baikalskiy and Barguzinskiy ridges depend strongly on the degree of aspect and survived in cirques of northern aspect. The third group related with glaciers (e.g., No. 66, 70, 71, etc.) was intensively covered by debris material, in form of rock–snow–ice streams and occupy lower cirques at the altitudes of 1800–2000 m a.s.l. In the Baikalskiy ridge belong to this group glacier number 03 in the source of the Molokon River. Perhaps it contributes to the conservation of the eastern orientation towards Lake Baikal. The fourth group consists of perennial snow patches, which could be found in every cirque. All of them are deciphered on Landsat images of 1992 and 2003. Their condition is unstable. Example, the snowfield No. 72 melted in 2010, but in 2011 and 2013 held previous positions. A part of them located in the bed of the cirque, is an extreme step of degradation and marks the location of the former glaciers (e.g., No. 68–72, 158 etc.). Some snow patches are preserved on steep northern slopes, often below the growing area of pinus pumila. Large snow patches occupy the cirques or couloirs within the wide ridge from 1600 to 2200 m a.s.l. Perennial snow patches of degraded glaciers 04 and 05 were presented by several fragments stored in the upper parts of cirques in the Baikalskiy ridge (Table 2). The total area of nival-glacial formations of the Barguzinskiy ridge was about 9.2 km2 in the 1960s. The recent area of these landforms according to satellite images Landsat-5, 7, is 2.3 km2. The differentiated analysis of glaciers, has shown, that the entities identified as glaciers of the first type are more stable than nival-glacial landforms another type (Table 3). The total area of nival-glacial formations in Baikalskiy ridge was about 0.88 km2 in the 1960s. The modern area of

Environ Earth Sci (2015) 74:1957–1968

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Table 2 Current state (2010) of the glaciers of the Baikalskiy ridge according to satellite imagery Catalog number of the nival-glacial formations from the DB, name

Area (km2)

Length (km)

Limits, (m a.s.l) Upper

Group (type) Lower

The VerhnyaIrel River basin 06, SKRYITIY

0.03

2160 0.3

The Kurkula River basin 01, CHERSKOGO

0.38

1990 0.9

02, SOLNECHNY

0.14

1 1900

1840 0.75

05

2 2040

0.02

2 1800

2120 0.15

4 2070

The Molokon River basin 03

0.04

1830 0.18

04

0.03

1930 0.27

Table 3 Comparative characteristics of the Barguzinskiy glaciers (type 1 and 2) on topographic map (1960) and space images (2010)

Catalog number and type of a glacier

3 1780 4 1840

Area (km2)

Reduction (%)

1960

2010

65 (2)

0.65

0.02

96.9

74 (2)

0.022

0.019

13.6

93 (2)

0.049

0.021

57.1

127 (1)

0.135

0.06

55.6

145 (2)

0.134

0.071

47.0

159 (2)

0.124

0.041

66.9

160 (1)

0.242

0.136

43.8

Total

1.356

0.368

72.9

these formations according to satellite images Landsat-5 and 7 is 0.64 km2. Hence, these glaciers shrink on 27 %, however, the main glacier (01) of the first type decreased by only 8 %. According to an estimation of Osipov and Osipova (2014), glaciers 01 and 02 lost 41.6 % debris-free area from 1850 to 2011 and 21.2 % between 2006 and 2011. We found that Baikalskiy nival-glacial formations are more stable than those in Barguzinskiy ridge. This shows a larger (almost twice) stability of glaciers of Baikalskiy and Barguzinskiy ridges. As long as Kodar glaciers and snow patches with 40 % lost since 1995 and with individual glaciers losing as much as 93 % of their exposed ice (Stokes et al. 2013). Unfortunately, many weather stations have stopped their work and their data are not available. The nearest weather station is located on the coast of Lake Baikal in Nizhneangarsk. We compared its data with the data from weather station Chara (the Kodar ridge) and detected their

correlation (Fig. 7a, b, c). About 50 years ago, there was a slight decline in average air temperatures (Fig. 7d, e), which favored the nival-glacial processes. The temperature increased till the 2000s, both in summer and in winter, and the amount of precipitation reduced, but now (since 2000s) the temperature decreases, and annual precipitation increase. Perhaps similar cooling processes as in the 1960s will continue. Given the similarity of the temperature change characteristics of Nizhneangarsk and Chara (Fig. 7a, b, c) can be assumed that in the Kodar ridge and Northern areas of Lake Baikal there are similar glacial processes. According to other authors (Shahgedanova et al. 2011), there is a decrease in summer temperatures (July–August, JA) at Kodar in the period 1935–1975 and its increase in the period 1975–2007. From 1938 to 1979, the average JA temperature was 14.3 °C; from 1980 to 2007, it was 15.3 °C. In the mountains of northern Baikal region the

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Environ Earth Sci (2015) 74:1957–1968

Fig. 7 Climate data according to the weather stations Nizhneangarsk (1) and Chara (2): a—the number of days with negative temperature stable; b—the amount of negative temperatures; c—the average

annual temperature; average monthly air temperature at the station Nizhneangarsk in the past 60 years (polynomial trend—dashed line): d—summer (July–August), and e—winter (December–January)

similarly average monthly increase of summer and winter temperatures was since the beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 2000s and their decline still going on (Fig. 7d, e). The warming in 1980–90s and the improving climatic background in the last decade in the Eastern Sayan was noted (Osipov et al. 2013; Osipov and Osipova 2015). One of the largest glaciers of Kodar ridge-Azarovoy glacier decreased from 1979 to 2007, from 0.701 to 0.56 km2 (Shahgedanova et al. 2011) at the rate of 0.005 km2 a-1. The largest glacier of Baikalskiy ridge (Cherskogo) for the period 1960–2010 decreased from 0.48 to 0.38 km2 at the rate of 0.002 km2 a-1. The largest glacier of Barguzinskiy ridge (Uryol-Amutis) for the period 1960–2010 decreased from 0.256 to 0.136 km2 at the rate 0.0024 km2 a-1. Despite the fact that Kodar ridge is located north (about 1.5°) than Baikalskiy and Barguzinskiy ridges (Azarovoy glacier is located at N 56.889°, Uryol-Amutis glacier—N 55.455°, Cherskogo glacier—N 55.056°) the speed of melting of the Azarovoy glacier is twice as fast (Osipov 2010). The dynamics of glaciers in other mountain massif is explored in our articles about the glaciers of the East Sayan

(Kitov et al. 2015) and the Kodar’s transect—Eastern Sayan (Kitov and Plyusnin 2015).

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Conclusions Comparison of mapping, remote sensing and field data show the shrinking of nival-glacial formations and the degradation of glaciers from cirques to niches. In addition, small glaciers, represented on topographic maps in the 60th year of the last century, moved now to the stage of perennial snow patches and rock glaciers. The newly discovered nival-glacial formations are divided into 4 groups (types): 1—cirque glaciers; 2—niche glaciers; 3—rock glaciers; 4—perennial snow patches. The GIS project and the database (DB) of nival-glacial formations (Certificate of state registration of the database No. 2013620600, Glaciers of the Barguzinskiy ridge, May 13, 2013. Certificate of state registration of the database No. 2015620273, Glaciers of the Baikalskiy ridge, February 13, 2015) for the quantitative analysis of the accumulated information are created (some of the characteristics presented in Tables 1, 2).

Environ Earth Sci (2015) 74:1957–1968

Because of the climate and topography the recent glaciation is concentrated in the northern part of the ridge. Glaciers and perennial snow patches remained predominantly in cirques of north, northwest and northeast aspect at altitudes of 1900–2200 m a.s.l. The glaciers are mostly located in the basin of the Tala Svetlinskaya River. Over the past 50 years, the total area of nival-glacial formations in the Barguzinskiy ridge, according to preliminary estimates, decreased four times, but it decreases only twice for cirque glaciers. During this same time, the glaciers of the Baikalskiy ridge decreased only by 1/3. The glaciers of mountain ridges of south of Eastern Siberia significantly reduced in thickness. Their abrupt degradation is manifested in the last 5–10 years. The main glacier of the Barguzinskiy ridge decreases with the speed of 0,002 km2/year. That is comparable with the reduction rate of the glaciers of the Eastern Sayan, but is less than of the representative of the Kodar ridge the Azarovoy glacier.

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