Author
Listed:
- Bolat Aubekerov
- Aldar Gorbunov
Abstract
During the Quaternary there were numerous changes of climate in Kazakhstan. Cold epochs were replaced by moderate or warm ones and humidity varied. The most significant period of cooling occurred in the Middle and Late Pleistocene, when the permafrost of the northern and central plains of Kazakhstan merged with the permafrost of the mountains in the southern part of the country. Maximum mountain glaciation in Kazakhstan occurred in the Early and Middle Pleistocene. The first Eopleistocene (the transition section from Pliocene to Pleistocene) glaciation was caused by a significant humidity increase in the mountains together with moderate cooling; the second, in the Middle Pleistocene, was mainly cooling. In both cases tectonic elevation of mountain ranges played a major role. Appreciable changes of geocryological and glacial conditions were observed during the Holocene. For example, in the Little Ice Age there was a depression of permafrost belt borders in the mountains of up to 200–300 m, and small permafrost areas formed in the Kazakh Melkosopochnik (an area of old, low, rounded and isolated hills in central Kazakhstan). Also glacier fluctuations occurred. During the Quaternary, the high‐altitude landscape zonation in mountains varied substantially. During glaciation, the forest belt narrowed, and in the Middle Pleistocene it was probably completely absent in the northern Tien Shan. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Pendant le Quaternaire, de nombreux changements de climat se sont produits au Kazakhstan où des périodes froides ont été remplacées par des périodes chaudes ou de température modérée, accompagnées de variation d'humidité. Les refroidissements les plus significatifs se sont produits au milieu et à la fin du Pléistocène quand le pergélisol des plaines centrales et septentrionales du Kazakhstan a fusionné avec le pergélisol de montagne de la partie méridionale du pays. La glaciation de montagne du Kazakhstan la plus étendue a eu lieu au début et au milieu du Pléistocène. La première glaciation, apparue à la fin du Pliocène ou au début du Pléistocène, a été provoquée par une augmentation significative de l'humidité dans les montagnes, au moment où se produisait un refroidissement modéré. La seconde glaciation, au milieu du Pléistocène, résulte essentiellement d'un refroidissement. Dans les deux cas, le soulèvement tectonique des montagnes a joué un rôle important. Des changements appréciables dans les conditions glaciaires et géocryologiques ont été observées aussi pendant l'Holocène. Par exemple, pendant le petit âge glaciaire, la limite du pergélisol est descendue de 200 à 300 m et de petits îlots de pergélisol sont apparus dans le Melkosopochnik (une région de collines basses, arrondies et isolées du centre du Kazakhstan). Des fluctuations glaciaires ont aussi accompagné ces changements climatiques. Pendant le Quaternaire, la zonation en altitude du paysage dans les montagnes a varié d'une manière substantielle. Pendant les glaciations, la zone forestière s'est rétrécie et a été probablement complètement absente dans le Tien Shan septentrional. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suggested Citation
Bolat Aubekerov & Aldar Gorbunov, 1999.
"Quaternary permafrost and mountain glaciation in Kazakhstan,"
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages 65-80, January.
Handle:
RePEc:wly:perpro:v:10:y:1999:i:1:p:65-80
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199901/03)10:13.0.CO;2-X
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