Glaciers of Kyrgyzstan.

“All nature wears one universal grin” 

Henry Fielding.

Combined tours and routes in mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

The Semyonov dendrite glacier is located in the upper reaches of the Sarydzhaz valley, in the northeastern part of the Central Tien Shan mountains, in the Ak-Suu district of the Issyk-Kul region. The glacier is located on the northern slope of the Saryjaz ridge in the upper reaches of the river of the same name.
Between the southern slopes of the Terskey-Ala-Too and Adyrtor ridge, the Semenov glacier flows to the west, which is the main source of the Sarydzhaz river. Large glaciers of the northern slopes of the Sarydzhaz ridge are the left channels of the Mushketov glacier flowing to the west.
There are no right tributaries of the glacier, since the right side of the glacial bed is the Adyrtor ridge. The length of the Semenov Glacier, whose sources begin from the southwestern slope of the Katta-Ashutor ridge, from the northwestern slope of the summit 5437 meters above sea level and from the northwestern slopes of Semyonov Peak 5816 meters above sea level is 19.2 kilometers (11.2021 ).
The tongue of the Semyonov glacier is located at an altitude of 3447 meters above sea level. The greatest width of the glacier in its upper part is up to 1.5 kilometers (11.2021). The Sarydzhaz River originates from the Semyonov dendrite glacier, which originates on slopes of Semyonov Peak, 5816 meters above sea level at the junction of the Terskey-Ala-Too and Sary-Jaz ranges.
Avalanches play an important role in the feeding of the glacier. On the left, 5 large tributaries flow into the Semenov glacier, flowing down from the northern slope of the Adyrtor ridge. Their tongues on the surface of the main the trunk is bordered by moraine ridges.
On the right, from the southern slope of the Terskey-Ala-Too ridge, only two small tributaries flow into the glacier. The tongue of the Semyonov glacier is gentle, its surface is covered with craters, resembling karst ones, up to 30 - 50 meters in diameter.
In some, melt water accumulates, forming lakes. Melting on the tongue of the glacier at an altitude of 3700 meters above sea level averages 2.5 centimeters per day during the ablation period, the maximum is up to 8 - 10 centimeters per day.
Since 1885, the Semenov glacier has retreated by almost 3 kilometers. The rate of linear contraction for most large glaciers is 2-10 meters per year. Small glaciers almost did not change their outlines and for the most part are stationary or close to his position (Bakov. 1983; Dikikh. 1976; Zabirov. 1958, 1962) (Dolgushin, Osipova, Rototaeva. 1972; Vinogradov, Konovalova, Psareva 1980; Catalog of glaciers. 1967 - 1979).
The glacier was discovered in 1857 by the Russian explorer Petr Petrovich Semyonov (later Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky), after whom it got its name.
Geographic coordinates of the Semenov glacier: N42 ° 20'12.67 "E80 ° 01'08.95"

Authority:
"Glaciers." L.D. Dolgushin, G.B. Osipova. Series "Nature of the world." Moscow, the publishing house "Thought". 1989.
Akexander Petrov.

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.