Rock waste dumps on the Davydov Glacier (Akshyirak Range, Tien Shan)

• Published in: Ice and Snow
• Main Authors: V. Kuzmichenok A., В. Кузьмиченок А.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: IGRAS 2015
• Subjects: Dump of rock;glacier;glacier squeezing out;glacier surge; Davydov; Annals of Glaciology
• Online Access: https://ice-snow.igras.ru/jour/article/view/152; https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2012-1-95-104

Since 1995, a barren rock has been formed at the Davydov Glacier, due to the works at the Kumtor Gold Mine. By the end of 2010, total amount of the rock, stockpiled on the glacier, apparently exceeded 200 million tons, the height of dumps of rock sometimes exceeded 50 meters. The most noticeable effects of this are provoking local surges of the Davydov Glacier and squeezing glacier ice out of the dumps of rock. For a detailed analysis of both processes, we also used the results of periodic geodetic measurements (over 8000) of monitoring rods (about 800 rods) of the gold mining company. A number of local surges of the glacier has been found, the first of which began in March–April 2002. To analyze glacier squeezing out of the dumps of rock, mathematical modeling of that process has been done. It was established that in most cases, the glacier is almost completely squeezed out of for 1–2 years. Подготовка и промышленная разработка золоторудного месторождения Кумтор сопровождается складированием пустой горной породы на поверхность ледника Давыдова. Общая масса складированной на ледник горной породы на конец 2010 г. превысила 200 млн т. Такая большая масса горной породы на леднике коренным образом перестраивает его режим. В работе рассмотрены два аспекта этой перестройки: провоцирование подвижки ледника Давыдова и выдавливание льда из-под отвалов.