Denudation rates in the mountain periglacial regions: research methods and results
https://doi.org/10.31857/S0435428121010065
Abstract
Periglacial areas in the mountains are characterized by the highest denudation rates, which is due to active physical weathering, significant gradients and low projective vegetation coverage of the slopes of these areas. The accelerated expansion of periglacial areas that has taken place in recent decades is explained by climate changes that contribute to the melting of mountain glaciers. The improved methodology of studying the relief transformation processes, the rates of various exogenous processes, and the features of material redistribution along the pathways of sediment transportation from the slopes to the river valley bottoms contributed to a dramatic increase in quantitative assessment of spatio-temporal changes in the relief of the mountain periglacial zone. The article discusses various traditional and contemporary methods and approaches to studying the periglacial zone relief and its changes. They are divided into two groups: methods of stationary and semi-stationary observations of exogenous processes and methods for studying sediment redistribution in catchments. Various directions are highlighted within each group of methods, special attention is paid to the latest techniques. The results of observations of the rates of various exogenous processes occurring in the periglacial zone are generalized. It is shown that the intensity of rockfall-talus processes depends on lithology and frequency of daily air temperature fluctuation through zero °C and varies from 0.02 to 1.6 mm/year. Avalanche abrasion in avalanche trays reaches 40–70 mm/year. The rate depends on the area of the slope catchment, within which avalanches descend, and corresponds to the rate of denudation for the slope catchment equal to 0.01–0.05 mm/year. Maximum soil erosion rates are typical for young moraine slopes, where it reaches 100 mm/year in the first years after the glacier melts, and after 50 years slows down to 7–10 mm/year. The main flux of sediments is delivered from the slopes to the river bottoms by occasionally formed mudflows.
Supporting agencies: The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (No. 19-17-00181). The review of stationary and semi-stationary research tecniques for geomorphological investigation of mountains was supported by the State Research Task No. 0148-2019-0005 (АААА-А19-119021990091-4).
About the Authors
S. V. Kharchenko
Lomonosov Moscow State University; Institute of Geography RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Faculty of Geography, Moscow
A. V. Fedin
Institute of Geography RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Moscow
V. N. Golosov
Lomonosov Moscow State University; Institute of Geography RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Faculty of Geography, Moscow
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Kharchenko S.V., Fedin A.V., Golosov V.N. Denudation rates in the mountain periglacial regions: research methods and results. Geomorfologiya. 2021;52(1):3-18. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S0435428121010065
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