Fedchenko Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Fedchenko Glacier is a large glacier
in the Pamir Mountains
of north-central Gorno-Badakhshan province, Tajikistan
. The glacier is long and narrow, currently extending for 77 kilometres (47.8 mi) and covering over 700 square kilometres (270.3 sq mi). It is the longest glacier in the world outside of the polar region
s. The maximum thickness of the glacier is 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft), and the volume of the Fedchenko and its dozens of tributaries is estimated at 144 cubic kilometres (34.5 cu mi)—about a third the volume of Lake Erie
.
at an elevation of 2909 metres (9,544 ft). Its waters eventually feed down the Muksu
, Surkhob, Vakhsh
, and Amu Darya
rivers into the Aral Sea
.
To the west is the Academy of Sciences Range
, Mount Garmo
, Ismoil Somoni Peak, Peak Korzhenevskaya
and the headwaters of the Vanj River
and Yazgulyam River
. To the south is Independence Peak
and to the east Gorbunov Peak (6,025 meters). To the north is Altyn Mazar.
, a Russia
n explorer (but not discoverer of the glacier).
, and that continuing temperature increases could endanger that nation's water
supply and extensive hydroelectric power
infrastructure, both of which are driven almost entirely by glacier melt.
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in the Pamir Mountains
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
of north-central Gorno-Badakhshan province, Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. The glacier is long and narrow, currently extending for 77 kilometres (47.8 mi) and covering over 700 square kilometres (270.3 sq mi). It is the longest glacier in the world outside of the polar region
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
s. The maximum thickness of the glacier is 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft), and the volume of the Fedchenko and its dozens of tributaries is estimated at 144 cubic kilometres (34.5 cu mi)—about a third the volume of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
.
Path and location
The glacier follows a generally northward path to the east of the 6595 m (21,637.1 ft) Garmo Peak. The glacier begins at an elevation of 6200 metres (20,341.2 ft) above sea level, and eventually melts and empties into the Balandkiik River near the border with KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
at an elevation of 2909 metres (9,544 ft). Its waters eventually feed down the Muksu
Muksu River
The Muksu River is a west-flowing river in north-central Gorno-Badakhshan province, Tajikistan. It is a tributary of the Vakhsh River which in turn is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The north side of its valley is the Trans-Alay Range and the south side is formed by the high mountains near the...
, Surkhob, Vakhsh
Vakhsh River
The Vakhsh has been intensively developed for human use. Electricity, aluminum, and cotton are the mainstays of Tajikistan’s economy, and the Vakhsh is involved with all three of these sectors. Hydroelectricity provides 91% of the country’s electricity as of 2005, and 90% of that total comes from...
, and Amu Darya
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya , also called Oxus and Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers...
rivers into the Aral Sea
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was a lake that lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south...
.
To the west is the Academy of Sciences Range
Akademiya Nauk Range
Akademiya Nauk Range is a mountain range in the Western Pamirs of Tajikistan. It is stretched in the meridianal direction and considered to be the core of the Pamir mountain system....
, Mount Garmo
Mount Garmo
Mount Garmo is a mountain of the Pamirs in Tajikistan, Central Asia, with a height reported to be between 6,595 metres and 6,602 metres....
, Ismoil Somoni Peak, Peak Korzhenevskaya
Peak Korzhenevskaya
Peak Korzhenevskaya is the third highest peak in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. It is one of the five "Snow Leopard Peaks" in the territory of theformer Soviet Union. It is named after Evgenia Korzhenevskaya, the wife of Russiangeographer Nikolai L...
and the headwaters of the Vanj River
Vanj River
The Vanj River is a river in east Tajikistan. It is a right tributary of the Panj River in Vanj district, north-western Gorno-Badakhshan. It flows southwest between the Darvoz Range to the north and the Vanj Range to the south, joining the Panj at . The Vanj valley is broader and more fertile...
and Yazgulyam River
Yazgulyam River
The Yazgulyam River is a tributary of the Panj in Vanj district, western Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan....
. To the south is Independence Peak
Independence Peak
Independence Peak or Qullai Istiqlol , at , is the fourth highest peak in Pamir Mountains, located at the center of Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, above the source of Yazgulem River in the Yazgulem Range. The mountain consists of three snow and ice covered summits and its...
and to the east Gorbunov Peak (6,025 meters). To the north is Altyn Mazar.
Discovery
The glacier was discovered in 1878 but not fully explored until 1928 by a German-Soviet expedition under Willi Rickmer Rickmers. It is named after Alexei Pavlovich FedchenkoAlexei Pavlovich Fedchenko
Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko was a Russian naturalist and explorer well known for his travels in central Asia....
, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n explorer (but not discoverer of the glacier).
Concerns about shrinking
The Tajik government has recently expressed concerns that the Fedchenko and other Pamir glaciers have been shrinking due to global warmingGlobal warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, and that continuing temperature increases could endanger that nation's water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
supply and extensive hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
infrastructure, both of which are driven almost entirely by glacier melt.
External links
- Map of glaciation in the Pamir Mountains
- Google Maps satellite photo of Fedchenco Glacier (solid white line running approximately vertically in center of image)
- Current weather and 5-day forecast, from CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...