Data Set ID:
GGD501

Rock glaciers, Zailiysiky Range, Kungei Ranges, Tienshan, Kazakhstan, Version 1

The Zailiyskiy Alatau is the northernmost parallel latitudinal ranges of the Northern Tien Shan. The highest point of this range is the Talgar peak (4973 m a.s.l.). The central part of the range is strongly glaciated; 380 glaciers of total area about 510 sq. km occur here. There are 504 rock glaciers in the Zailiyskiy Alatau Range. On the morphological signs, 429 of this amount of total area 49.77 sq. km are considered to be active. The best studied rock glaciers are concentrated in the central part of the northern slope of the Zailiyskiy Alatau in basins of the Bolshaya (Big) and Malaya (Small) Almatinka rivers. The investigations of rock glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan started in 1923 by geodetic observations of Russian glaciologist N.N.Palgov near the front of the Gorodetsky rock glacier (Zailiyskiy Alatau). The observations were repeated in 1946, 1960, 1977 and 1994 using the theodolite 2T2 of 1'' accuracy. (Gorbunov et al., 1994). The following parameters of each rock glacier were measured. Location (river basin, geographic extent); Type (morainic/lobate); Activity (active/inactive); Size (length, width), m; Area, sq. km; Orientation; Elevation of the source, m a.s.l.; Elevation of the front, m a.s.l. Since 1975, the investigations of rock glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan are carrying out by the Kazakhstan Alpine Permafrost Laboratory. In order to determine regularities in the distribution of rock glaciers, an inventory using aerial photographs and maps of 1 to 100 000 scale was carried out (Gorbunov, 1979, Titkov, 1988). These data are presented on the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM, June 1998.

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Geographic Coverage

Parameter(s):
  • Frozen Ground > Rock Glaciers
Spatial Coverage:
N: 43.25, 
S: 42.917, 
E: 77.083, 
W: 76
Spatial Resolution: Not Specified
Temporal Coverage:
  • 1 January 1923 to 31 December 1994
Temporal Resolution: Not specified
Data Format(s):
  • ASCII Text
Platform(s) Not specified
Sensor(s): Not specified
Version: V1
Data Contributor(s): Aldar P. Gorbunov, Eduard V. Seversky, Sergei Marchenko, Mihail Popov, Sergei Titkov
Metadata XML: View Metadata Record

Data Citation

As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.

Gorbunov, A., E. Seversky, S. Titkov, S. Marchenko, and M. Popov 1998. Rock glaciers, Zailiysiky Range, Kungei Ranges, Tienshan, Kazakhstan, Version 1. [Indicate subset used]. Boulder, Colorado USA. NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: https://doi.org/. [Date Accessed].

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Notice: 

This data set was first published on the 1998 CAPS CD.
The text for this document was taken unchanged from that CD.

Detailed Data Description

Coverage of data set

Study location

Northern Tien Shan, Zailiyskiy Alatau Range.

Geographic extent - Describe the corners of the box representing data coverage:

Northwestern latitude: 43 15' N
Northwestern longtitude: 76 00' E
Southeastern latitude: 42 55' N
Southeastern longtitude: 77 5' E

Period of investigation - Years covered

Inventory of rock glaciers: 1979, 1988

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Summary Description

The Zailiyskiy Alatau is the northernmost parallel latitudinal range of the Northern Tien Shan. The highest point of this range is the Talgar peak (4973 m a.s.l.). The central part of the range is strongly glaciated: 380 glaciers of total area about 510 sq. km occur here. There are 504 rock glaciers in the Zailiyskiy Alatau Range. Based on the morphological signs, 429 of this number, with a total area of 49.77 sq. km, are considered to be active. The most heavily studied rock glaciers are concentrated in the central part of the northern slope of the Zailiyskiy Alatau, in the basins of the Bolshaya (Big) and Malaya (Small) Almatinka rivers. The investigations of rock glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan started in 1923 by geodetic observations of the Russian glaciologist N.N.Palgov, near the front of the Gorodetsky rock glacier (Zailiyskiy Alatau). The observations were repeated in 1946, 1960, 1977 and 1994 (Gorbunov et al., 1994). Since 1975, the investigations of rock glaciersof the Northern Tien Shan have been carried out by the Kazakhstan Alpine Permafrost Laboratory.

In order to determine regularities in the distribution of rock glaciers, an inventory using aerial photographs and maps of 1:100000 scale was carried out (Gorbunov, 1979, Titkov, 1988). The following parameters of each rock glacier were measured:

  1. Location (river basin, geographic extent).
  2. Type (morainic/lobate).
  3. Activity (active/inactive).
  4. Size (length, width), m.
  5. Square, sq. km.
  6. Orientation.
  7. Elevation of the source, m a.s.l.
  8. Elevation of the front, m a.s.l.
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	Database     X
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Datacenter

Institute of Geocryology
Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazakhstan
Alpine Permafrost Laboratory
P.O. Box 138, 480091,
Almaty, Kazakhstan

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References and Related Publications

Gorbunov,A.P. (1979). Rock glaciers of the Zailiyskiy Alatau Range. In "Cryogenic Processes of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia". Institute of Geocryology, Yakutsk, p. 5-34 (in Russian).

Gorbunov, A.P., Seversky, E.V., Titkov, S.N. (1994). Geocryological research in the eastern part of the Northern Tien Shan. Annual report of Kazakhstan Alpine Permafrost Laboratory. Institute of Geocryology, Yakutsk, 29 p.p. (in Russian, not published).

Gorbunov, A.P. and Titkov, S.N. (1989). Rock Glaciers of the Central Asia Mountains. Institute of Geocryology, Yakutsk, 164 pp. (in Russian).

Gorbunov, A.P., Titkov, S.N. and Polyakov, V.G. (1992). Dynamics of rock glaciers of the Northern Tien Shan and the Djungar Alatau, Kazakhstan. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. Vol. 3, p. 29-39.

Titkov, S.N. (1979). Movement of rock glaciers of the Zailiyskiy Alatau Range. In "Cryogenic Processes of Kazakhstan and Middle Asia". Institute of Geocryology, Yakytsk, p. 34-42 (in Russian)

Titkov, S.N. (1988). Rock glaciers and glaciation of the Central Asia Mountains. In Permafrost: Proceedings 5th International Conference, Vol. 1. Tapir Publishers, Trondheim, p. 259-262.

Contacts and Acknowledgments

Aldar P. Gorbunov
Eduard V. Seversky
Sergei N. Titkov
Sergei S. Marchenko
Mikhail V. Popov

Document Information

Please cite these data as follows:

Grobunov, A.P. 1998. Rock glaciers, Zailiysiky Range, Kungei Ranges, Tienshan, Kazakhstan. In: International Permafrost Association, Data and Information Working Group, comp. Circumpolar Active-Layer Permafrost System (CAPS), version 1.0. CD-ROM available from National Snow and Ice Data Center, nsidc@kryos.colorado.edu. Boulder, Colorado: NSIDC, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Keywords - List up to ten keywords that describe the content of this data set.

  1. Northern Tien Shan
  2. Rock Glaciers
  3. Surface Geodetic Survey
  4. Photogrammetry
  5. Rate movement of rock glaciers
  6. Inventory of rock glaciers
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