Hydrological regime of Adygine lake, Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

This article provides a detailed analysis of the hydrological regime of the Adygine glacial lake in Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, and of the specific factors which affect it. Glaciers of central Tien Shan are considered to be very sensitive indicators of climate change. The studied lake belongs to a system of relatively recently formed lakes situated near the front of the retreating glacier and is numbered amongst the potentially dangerous. The lake’s water level and its dependence on the development of climatic conditions in the area were monitored in detail in 2007–2012. A substantial part of this paper is the evaluation of the inflow and outflow balance of the lake’s basin. The results confirmed that the hydrological regime is glacial and exhibits its typical characteristics, such as a seasonal evolution of runoff delay or significant diurnal fluctuation of the lake’s water level. During the monitored period, no major changes in annual lake level fluctuation were recorded.