Signs of intense degradation of the high-altitude cryosphere have been recorded on the Chelektor moraine-glacier complex on the northern slope of the Kyrgyz Ridge, the Hydrometeorological Service reported.
Director of the Service, Daurbek Sakyev, along with specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the University of Central Asia, conducted a scientific field expedition in the Noorus River basin.
Researchers assessed the current state of the glacier, the rate of its degradation, and potential natural hazards. Satellite data, drone aerial photography, instrumental observations, and route surveys were used.
Over the past decade, the area of the exposed glacier has decreased from 25.1 to 14.8 hectares, a 41 percent reduction.
The glacier front has retreated by 146 meters. The disintegration of the single glacier massif into separate fragments has also been recorded. Experts note that some exposed ice is transitioning to an «armored» state—the ice is now hidden under a thick layer of moraine deposits.
According to experts, further melting of the buried ice could reduce the stability of the moraine massif and lead to the formation of high-altitude lakes. If these lakes break through, there is a risk of mudflows forming in the valleys below.
