Zeravshan glacier melting due to climate warming (TAJIKISTAN)
2009 1927
1991 2.5 km
Source: Tajikhydromet
Zeravshan glacier – a source of the Zarafshan river which provides water for 0.5 million ha of irrigated, densely populated ancient oases at Pandjikent, Samarkand and Bukhara – retreated by 2.5 km between 1927 and 2009. Intense melting during 19912009 contributed to almost halving (1.2 km) the length of the glacier.
Background image is based on the digital elevation model adapted from Google Earth
In Kazakhstan, the surface and the ice volume of the Tsentralny Tyuyksu glacier (WGMC reference) in the Zailiysky Alatau range of the Tien Shan Mountains shrank by more than 30% in the past 50 years, receded by 1 km and lost more than 40 million m3 of ice.
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