Identification of the glaciers and mountain naturally dammed lakes in the Pskem, the Kashkadarya and the Surhandarya River basins, Uzbekistan, using ALOS satellite data

The glacierized area of Uzbekistan is represented in three river basins – the Pskem, the Kashkadarya and the Surhandarya. This study considers the present state of the glaciers and high-mountain lakes distribution in this area based on the analysis and validation of advanced land observing satellite (ALOS)/advanced visible and near infrared radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2) satellite data. Between the 1960s and the 2010s, the glacierized area decreased by 23% in the Pskem River basin (including the Maydantal), by 49% in the Kashkadarya and by 40% in the Surhandarya (including the Sangardak and the Tupalang) River basins. The retreat fairly slowed in the 1980s–2010s. There are 75 glacial lakes and 35 rock-dammed lakes (including landslide-dammed ones) in the Pskem River basin, 45% of all the lakes covering the area less than 0.002 km2; 13 glacial lakes and 4 rock-dammed lakes in the Kashkadarya and 34 glacial lakes and 16 rock-dammed lakes in the Surhandarya River basins. The landslide rock-dammed Ikhnach Upper Lake lost 0.04 km2 in size from 1 August 2010 to 30 August 2010 because of the seepage through the rock dam and 0.10 km2 from 1 August to 18 October 2013.

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