Dynamics of Surging Glaciers in the Sugran River Basin (Pamirs)

Abstract

The results of measurements of the area of surging glaciers in 1974 and 2018 are compared to the data on their areas in 1913. A large decadal (middle-term) variability in the area of basin glaciation is revealed, and it is comparable to the respective secular (long-term) changes. It is shown that in, the southern meridional circulation epoch, despite high summer temperatures, the surging glaciers in the Sugran River basin grew in area due to increased precipitation, supporting the idea about their flood-runoff nature.