The Greater Caucasus Glacier Inventory (Russia/Georgia/Azerbaijan)

Abstract. While there are a large number of glaciers in the Greater Caucasus, the region is not fully represented in modern glacier databases with previous incomplete inventories. Here, we present an expanded glacier inventory for this region over the 1960–1986–2014 period. Large scale topographic maps and satellite imagery (Landsat 5, Landsat 8 and ASTER) were used to conduct a remote sensing survey of glacier change in the Greater Caucasus mountains. Glacier margins were mapped manually and reveal that, in 1960, the mountains contained 2349 glaciers, with a total glacier surface area of 1674.9 ± 35.2 km2. By 1986, glacier surface area had decreased to 1482.1 ± 32.2 km2 (2209 glaciers), and by 2014, to 1193.2 ± 27.0 km2 (2020 glaciers). This represents a 28.8 ± 2.2 % (481 ± 10.6 km2) reduction in total glacier surface area between 1960 and 2014 and a marked acceleration in the rate of area loss since 1986. Analysis of possible controls suggest that the general decreases in both glacier area and number for the period 1960–2014 are directly due to general increase in temperature, especially in summer (June–July–August), although the response of individual glaciers was modulated by other factors, including glacier size, elevation, rock structure, exposition, morphological type and debris cover. This new glacier inventory can be used as a basis dataset for future studies including glacier change assessment.