Glaciation in the Kuznetsky Alatau Mountains—Dynamics and Current State According to Sentinel-2 Satellite Images and Field Studies

Glaciers and glacierets of the Kuznetsky Alatau Mountains are distributed at altitudes of 1200–1500 m above sea level, which is not typical for continental areas. The main factor contributing to the persistence of glaciation here is abundant winter precipitation. According to ground surface temperature measurements, the negative annual values are typical for upper glacier boundaries only. Since intensive study during the compilation of the USSR Glacier Inventory (1965–1980), the glaciation of the region has undergone notable changes. To assess the current state of glaciation, Sentinel-2 satellite images were used; contours of the glaciers were traced on the basis of images from 2021 to 2023. In total, 78 glaciers and 57 glacierets were identified. UAV imagery and field inspection were used for validation. The total glaciated area has reduced from 8.5 to 3.1 km2, which is 50–75% for selected river basins, with slope morphological types decreasing the most. According to our opinion, the morphological classification requires clarification due to absence of hanging glaciers, described previously.