Earth’s Cryosphere, 2011, Vol. XV, No. 1, p. 52-60

ANOMALOUS CHANGES OF KOLYMA-RIVER RUNOFF CONDITION IN WINTER PERIOD

V.Ye. Glotov, L.P. Glotova, M.V. Ushakov*

North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute, FEB of RAS, 685000, Magadan, Portovaya str., 16, Russia, geoecol@neisri.ru
*RF State Committee for the Hydro-Meteorology and Environment Monitoring, Kolyma Territorial Department,
685000, Magadan, Gagarina str., 12, Russia

Anomalous changes of runoff condition in winter period are described for the first time. As a result of these anomalies the average discharges in the river channel per separate years at the bottom range are less than at the superposed one. This difference of the runoffs is greater than the water discharge for the ice cover formation, including icings. The conclusion is made that within the limits of the cryogenic zone the runoff loss is due to the contemporary volumetric expansions – compression of capacitive space of the open river-channel talik during the sublittoral fluctuations of blocks of terrestrial crust. In the lower course of the Kolyma River the water is spent to recharge the North-Kolyma artesian basin underground waters. The operation of the Kolyma hydroelectric power station has resulted in the increase of the water discharge in winter time, in the activization of processes of water infiltration into earth and in the enlargement of the talik area under the water reservoir and in the Kolyma river channel. The last fact has both positive and negative geoecological consequences.

Key words: Cryolithozone, Kolyma River, winter period, Kolyma reservoir, runoff, lithosphere blocks.

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