“Little Ice Age” glaciers in Kamchatka, northeastern Russia

Abstract

Lichenometry was used to date “Little Ice Age” moraines in the Kamchatka peninsula, northeastern Russia. The Rhizocarpon geographicum growth-rate curve was based on seven data points from lava flows and moraines, dated using historical records or tephrochronology (15–300 BP). No reduction in growth rate due to decreasing lichen age was observed, so a linear approximation was used. Accuracy test results yield differences between real and calculated dates up to, but not exceeding, five years. From eight “Little Ice Age” (LIA) moraines it was established that Kamchatka glaciers advanced in the 1690s, 1850–70 and 1910–20. Only one moraine clearly corresponded to the 1690s advance. The maximum stage of the LIA was during the mid- to late 19th century when glacier fronts were generally 100–200 m lower than at present. Glacier termini with ash and moraine layers, covered by lichens and vascular plants, have been preserved for 150–300 years, judging by the lichen sizes.

Multiproxy records of climate variability for Kamchatka for the past 400 years

“…This dating is also supported by a tephrochronology: the moraine of Kozelsky Glacier includes the Avacha ash dated at AD 1737, but does not include an earlier reference horizon 14 C dated to 320+/−40 yr. BP (GIN-6893) (1430-1650 cal yr. AD; Solomina et al, 1995). Possible earlier advance is reported by Golub (2002) based on a moraine at Kropotkina Glacier (Bolshoy Semyachik volcano) with a lichen Rhizocarpon ge-ographicum of 80 mm diameter growing on its surface.…”

“…Historical descriptions of glaciers in Kamchatka go back to the early 20th century with mass balance measurements at several glaciers begun during the International Geophysical Year in 1957 (Vinogradov, 1975;Vinogradov and Muraviev, 1992). In order to extend these observations into the past, moraines have been dated using tree-rings, lichenometry, tephrochronology and radiocarbon (Solomina, et al, 1995;Solomina, 1999;Golub, 2002). Solomina and Calkin (2003) summarized these results and determined the main periods of glacier advance for the last 400 years.…”

“…The glacier record includes mass balance data both measured, and reconstructed using meteorological data (Vinogradov, 1975;Vinogradov andMuraviev, 1985, 1992;Muraviev et al, 1999) and moraine chronologies based on historical, lichenometric, tephrochronological, tree-ring, and 14 C dates (Solomina et al, 1995;Solomina and Calkin, 2003;Golub, 2002). The mass balance reconstructions based on the meteorological records (Fig.…”

“…6). Eight moraines in Kamchatka are dated to the early 20th century at Novograblenogo, Elysovsky, Lavinshikov, Kozel'sky (Avacha), Koryto (Kronotsky), and Kropotkina (B.Semyachik volcano) Glaciers (Solomina et al, 1995;Solomina and Calkin, 2003) (Fig. 7) and may have been forced by these decades favorable to positive mass balance.…”

Accumulation reconstruction and water isotope analysis for 1736–1997 of an ice core from the Ushkovsky volcano, Kamchatka, and their relationships to North Pacific climate records

“…This again indicates that the reconstructed accumulation rate is related to the history of glacier advance and retreat in the region. The peaks of ∼ 1810-1860 and 1920 coincide with glacier advances on Kamchatka Peninsula in the mid-19th and early 20th century (Solomina et al, 1995). Increases around 1970 coincide with positive mass balances of glaciers in Kamchatka (Shiraiwa and Yamaguchi, 2002).…”