Glaciological research on the Central Altai glaciers in 2025

During the summer expedition 2025, glacio-climatic observations were carried out on the Levyi Aktru glacier, which marked the beginning of permanent monitoring. Assessments of the glaciological parameters of the Levyi Aktru and Vodopadny glaciers were also carried out using geodetic methods. Interesting features of the altitude distribution of snow accumulation were revealed, and the contribution of summer snowfalls to the variation of the glacier radiation regime during ablation period was noted. Spectral analysis of data series revealed a significant role of mountain-valley circulation in the formation of the thermal regime over the glacier surface, as well as the influence of synoptic variability on the cloudiness regime and the course of relative humidity over the glacier. The obtained data are necessary to identify the mechanisms of Altai deglaciation, assess the glacial component of runoff, and verify models of glacial systems. In particular, calculations of the variability of the main glaciological parameters using the Oerlemans minimal model using measured mass balance characteristics (1977–2012) showed that the Levyi Aktru glacier can be used as a model object.

Altai, glacier mass balance, mountain meteorology, glacioclimatology