734063, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Ayni st., 267
A scientific article by Dr. Mustafo Safarov, a researcher at the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (Dushanbe), National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, co-authored with researchers from Tajikistan, China, India, and Pakistan, has been published in the international journal Global and Planetary Change. The journal is ranked in the Q1 category and is recognized as one of the leading international journals in the fields of climate change, cryosphere research, and Earth sciences.
The study, entitled “Surge-type glacier activity in the Tajik Pamirs from 2000 to 2024”, is devoted to the investigation of surge-type glaciers in the Tajik Pamirs. Within the framework of this research, the first comprehensive inventory of surge-type glaciers across the entire Tajik Pamir region was compiled. As a result, 507 surge-type glaciers with a total area 3,685 km² were identified and analyzed.
The authors used Landsat and PlanetScope satellite imagery, data acquired from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys, as well as glacier velocity and surface elevation change datasets to investigate glacier activity during the period 2000–2024. The results revealed that 96 glaciers experienced active surge behavior during the study period, with the majority located in the Mughob and Khingov river basins.
The findings demonstrate that the Pamirs represent one of the most important regions in the world for surge-type glaciers. The study also revealed that climate change has significantly influenced the characteristics of glacier surging, with recent changes observed in the duration and recurrence of surge phases.
The practical significance of the research lies in its application to the assessment of natural hazards, including the formation of glacier lakes, glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), debris flows, landslides, and other hazardous processes. The results can also support the development of climate change adaptation strategies in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan.
The article was authored by Mustafo Safarov, Junli Li, Majid Gulayozov, Ali Fazylov, Abhishek Banerjee, Ruonan Li, Ardamehr Halimov, Zahoor Ahmad, and Murodkhudzha Murodov.