Glacioclimatological investigations of the Institute of Geography, RAS, in the crater of Eastern Summit of Mt. Elbrus in 2020

• Main Authors: V. N. Mikhalenko, S. S. Kutuzov, I. I. Lavrentiev, P. A. Toropov, D. O. Vladimirova, A. A. Abramov, V. V. Matskovsky
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Nauka 2021-03-01
• Series: Lëd i Sneg
• Subjects: elbrus; ice core; meteorological regime; heat budget; heat flux; methane; ground temperature
• Online Access: https://ice-snow.igras.ru/jour/article/view/877

During the field campaign in August 18–30, 2020 the meteorological regime and heat balance of the glacier surface were investigated in the crater of Mt Elbrus Eastern Summit (5600 m a.s.l.) together with the GPR measurements of the ice thickness and seasonal snow cover. Preliminary data analysis allowed the following features: the predominance of synoptic fluctuations over the diurnal ones; the high values of average and maximum wind speed associated with the impact of jet streams and with influence of leeward storms; extremely high temporal variability of relative humidity and its very high deficit in cloudless conditions conducive to intensive evaporation and sublimation from the snow surface. The maximum thickness of ice in the crater reaches 100 m, and the average is 34 m. A new ice core with a length of 96.01 m from the glacier surface to its bed had been obtained. The drilling speed varied from 11 to 1 m/h, decreasing with depth from 4.5 to 4.0 m/h on average. The thickness of the snow-firn mass is about 20 m, which is three times less than on the Western Plateau of Mt Elbrus. According to measurements in the borehole, temperature at the glacier bed is −0.6 °C. The calculated heat flux is 0.39 W/m2. Air sampling was carried out in the crater of the Eastern Summit of Elbrus and on the Garabashi glacier. Repeated measurements of the soil temperature in the fumarole field on the outer edge of the crater of the Elbrus Eastern Summit allow the conclusion that the temperature regime is stable.