Rock Glacier Inventory for Zailiyskiy Alatau Range, Kazakhstan
Updated 2mo ago
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Available on 2 platforms
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Description
Rock glaciers, Zailiysiky Range, Kungei Ranges, Tienshan, Kazakhstan, Version 1 contains an inventory of 504 rock glaciers in the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountain range. The dataset, compiled by the Kazakhstan Alpine Permafrost Laboratory and NASA, includes measurements for each glacier such as location, type, activity status, dimensions, area, orientation, and elevation. Investigations began in 1923, with key inventory work using aerial photographs and maps conducted from 1975 onward, culminating in the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM release in June 1998.
Use Cases
Analyzing the distribution and concentration of rock glaciers by river basin and geographic extent.
Comparing the physical characteristics (length, width, area) between morainic and lobate rock glacier types.
Assessing cryospheric activity by studying the proportion of active versus inactive rock glaciers.
Modeling permafrost and geomorphic processes using elevation data for the source and front of each feature.
Conducting historical comparisons of glacier dynamics using observation data from 1923, 1946, 1960, 1977, and 1994.
Strengths
Provides a complete regional inventory of 504 rock glaciers with a detailed subset of 429 classified as active.
Includes multi-decadal geodetic observations from 1923 to 1994, enabling longitudinal study of glacier movement.
Data collection utilized precise theodolite measurements with 1'' accuracy and standardized aerial photograph interpretation at 1:100,000 scale.
Limitations
The exact row count and complete column list are unspecified across all platform descriptions.
Conflicting freshness: one platform lists a last updated date of 2026-03-12, which is likely an error or placeholder, while another cites 1994-12-31 as the definitive end of the observation period.
The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without clear terms for reuse.
Provenance
Source
Kazakhstan Alpine Permafrost Laboratory, with data presented by NASA on the CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM.
Collection Method
Inventory compiled from aerial photographs and maps at 1:100,000 scale, supplemented by field-based geodetic observations using a theodolite.
Time Range
1923 to 1994
Freshness
1994-12-31
Geography
Zailiyskiy Alatau range, Northern Tien Shan, Kazakhstan, with a focus on the Bolshaya and Malaya Almatinka river basins.
Data is distributed in legacy BIN and ISO file formats alongside HTML. The 2026-03-12 update timestamp on one platform is inconsistent with the documented data period and should be treated as a metadata error.