Multi-Decadal Changes in Glacial Parameters of the Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan

Abstract

An accurate estimation of mass balance of mountain glaciers is important to understand global climate change process. The glaciers in the Pamir region are remote, difficult to access, and are often impossible to evaluate using in-situ methods. The objectives of this study are to estimate the extent of glacial retreat of the Fedchenko glacier from 1933 to 2014, and to estimate the mass balance of the Fedchenko in the Pamir region of Tajikistan. ASTER and Landsat satellite images were used in the study. Glacier terminus of the Fedchenko glacier retreated about 1.7 km over the last 81 years. However, in the recent years, the rate of retreat has slowed down. The lower part of the ablation zone, which is mostly debris covered has exhibited higher surface lowering trend compared to the area between the altitude of 3800m to the equilibrium line altitude (ELA).