Snow resources of Krasnaya Polyana area (Western Caucasus)

A. D. Oleynikov

doi:10.15356/2076-6734-2013-4-83-94

Snow resources of Krasnaya Polyana area (Western Caucasus)

A. D. Oleynikov

https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2013-4-83-94

Abstract

The paper deals with study of snowiness and estimation of modern tendencies of its changes in the area of Krasnaya Polyana in the West Caucasus. Olympic Games will take place here in February, 2014. The paper is based on the data of meteorological stations Krasnaya Polyana (567 m), Achishho (1880 m) and snow surveys along the Mzymta River valley (0–2500 m). Period under study characterized by winters with different snowiness. This difference is analyzed due to their changes in altitude levels. During two last decades, the noticeable reduction of snowiness occurred in the investigated district. The dependence between snowy winters and periods of cold temperatures is identified. In seasons of anomaly high and low snowiness the difference of snow depth can reach 5 m (Achishho). In places of Olympic ski lower stations (Gornaya Karussel, Gasprom, Rosa-Hutor) the temperature of cold period runs from −1,6 ºC up to 4,9 ºC, and the periodicity of winters with positive temperatures is 86% on this level. Parameters of winter conditions are given in the paper, and we can consider them as a paradox of Krasnaya Polyana winters

Keywords

Snow cover, snow storage, snowiness of winters, Western Caucasus.,

About the Author

A. D. Oleynikov

Moscow State University
Russian Federation

References

1. Vivchar A.V. Vliyanie snezhnykh lavin na rekreatsionnoe osvoenie basseyna reki Mzymta (Zapadnyi Kavkaz). Influence of snow avalanches to the recreation assimilation of Mzymta river basin (Western Caucasus). Ph. D. Thesis. Moscow State University. 2011: 24 p. [In Russian].

2. Galakhov N.N. Apportionment of winter types according to the depth and dynamics of snow cover on the large part of the USSR territory. Rol’ snezhnogo pokrova v prirodnykh protsessakh. Role of snow cover in the nature processes. Moscow: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961: 11–26. [In Russian].

3. Glyatsiologicheskiy slovar’. Glaciological Glossary. Ed. V.M. Kotlyakov. Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1984: 528 p. [In Russian].

4. Efremov Yu.V., Salatovka R.V., Bendeliani S.V. Snow cover and avalanche regime in the mountain cluster of Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2011, 2 (114): 64–69. [In Russian].

5. Zalikhanov M.Ch. Snezhno-lavinnyi rezhim i perspektivy osvoeniya gor Bol’shogo Kavkaza. Snow-avalanche regime and perspectives of assimilation of the Great Caucasus Mountains. Rostov-on-Don: Rostov State University, 1981: 376 p. [In Russian].

6. Katalog lednikov SSSR. USSR Glacier Inventory. Pt. 1. V. 9. Issue 1. Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1977: 47 p. [In Russian].

7. Kotlyakov V.M. Snezhnyi pokrov Zemli i ledniki. Earth snow cover and glaciers. Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1968: 478 p. [In Russian].

8. Lavinoopasnye rayony Sovetskogo Soyuza. Avalanche dangerous regions of the Soviet Union. Ed. G.K. Tushinsky. Moscow State University. 1970: 198 p. [In Russian].

9. Lurie P.M., Panov V.D., Ilichev Yu.G., Salpagarov A.D. Snow cover and glaciers in the Kuban’ river basin. Trudy Teberdinskogo biosfernogo zapovednika. Proc. of the Teberda Natural Biosphere Reserve. Issue 41. Kislovodsk, 2006: 243 p. [In Russian].

10. Nasimovich A.A. Influence of avalanches to the vegetation and animal world in Caucasian reserve. Priroda. Nature. 1938, 8: 191–192. [In Russian].

11. Oleynikov A.D. Application of existent methods of winters typization for the avalanche study using Western Caucasus as an example. Materialy Glyatsiologicheskikh Issledovaniy. Data of Glaciological Studies. 1982, 45: 70–76. [In Russian].

12. Oleynikov A.D. Snowiness of winters in the Krasnaya Polyana region (Western Caucasus). Vestnik MGU. Ser. 5. Geografiya. Herald of the Moscow State University. Ser. 5. Geography. 2010, 2: 39–45. [In Russian].

13. Pogorelov A.V. On the “strip of snowiness” of the Great Caucasus. Trudy SANII. Proc. of the Central Asian Hydrometeorological Institute. 1988, 129 (210): 25–30. [In Russian].

14. Pogorelov A.V. Snezhnyi pokrov Bol’shogo Kavkaza. Snow cover of the Great Caucasus. Moscow: Akademkniga, 2002: 287 p. [In Russian].

15. Pogorelov A.V., Boyko E.S. Study of microand mesoscale structure of a snow cover field in mountains using laser scanning technology. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2010, 2 (110): 35–42. [In Russian].

16. Sulakvelidze G.K. Some physical properties of snow cover. Voprosy izucheniya snega i ispolzovaniya ego v narodnom khozyaystve. Problems of snow studies and its use in the economy. Moscow: Nauka, 1956: 24–54. [In Russian].

17. Temnikova N.S. Klimat Severnogo Kavkaza i prilezhashchikh stepey. Climate of the Northern Caucasus and adjoining step. Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1959: 368 p. [In Russian].

18. Khromov S.P. Meteorologiya i klimatologiya dlya geograficheskikh fakultetov. Meteorology and climatology for geographical faculties. Leningrad: Hydrometeoizdat, 1983: 455 p. [In Russian].

Supplementary files

For citation: Oleynikov A.D. Snow resources of Krasnaya Polyana area (Western Caucasus). Ice and Snow. 2013;53(4):83-94. https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2013-4-83-94

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

ISSN 2076-6734 (Print)
ISSN 2412-3765 (Online)

Username
Password