The Last Glaciation and Ice-Dammed Lakes in the South-East Altai

Abstract

The palaeogeographic scheme of the distribution of glaciers and ice-dammed lakes in the Altai during the last global glaciation (MIS-2) was compiled based on a detailed large-scale geomorphological survey. Analysis of geomorphological traces of glaciers of this time indicates that they occupied smaller areas than those of the first Late Pleistocene glaciation. By this means, the ice dams created by them were smaller that resulted in small sizes of ice-dammed lakes. The preserved levels of terraces indicate that during the first Late Pleistocene glaciation in the Kurai-Chuya depression system the ancient lake was the only one with a level of 2250 m and a total volume of 1.70 km3. During the second Late Pleistocene glaciation in the south-east Gorny Altai, another separate lake existed which was the Bartal-Kurai Lake with a level of 1700 m and a volume of 45 km3. This lake was dammed by the Mashey Glacier, which descended from the northern slopes of the North Chuaya Range. In the Chuya Depression, the existence of a landslide-dammed lake with a volume of 0.7 km3 and a level 1.750 m has been found. Its formation was not associated with glaciers of the MIS-2 stage. Direct dating of the last ice-dammed lake in the Chuya Depression with a level of 1950 m and a volume of 140 km3 has not yet been determined. This lake was dammed by the Kuehtanar Glacier, which descended from the southern slope of the Kurai ridge. The volume of ice-dammed waters of the MIS-2 time was an order of magnitude smaller than it was in the first Late Quaternary glaciation. This explains the much lower intensity of erosive and accumulative processes associated with the mega-flood occurred due to the breakthrough of the lakes during MIS-2.

Keywords

• late pleistocene
• glacier
• glacier-dammed lake
• geomorphological mapping
• gorny altai
• mis 2