Earth’s Cryosphere, 2010, Vol. XIV, No. 4, p. 80-88
THE SNOW COVER AND LOCATION OF OROGRAPHIC SNOWLINE IN THE MZYMTA RIVER VALLEY
(WESTERN CAUCASUS) UNDER THE CONTEMPORARY CLIMATE CHANGES
A.N. Vivchar
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Geography, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, Russia, anton_vivchar@mail.ru
The researches of the snow accumulation peculiarities during the period 2003–2009 in the Mzymta river valley (Western Caucasus) and Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve have been carried out. The regularities of snow distribution and formation of snowslides have been found out. The position of orographic snowline on separate sites of the investigated territory has been determined.
Key words: Snow cover, avalanche, unsteadiness, orographical snow line, the West Caucasus, Krasnaya Polyana.