ИСТИНА

Kolka Glacier is located in North Ossetia in the upper reaches of the Genaldon River on the northern slope of the Kazbek-Jimarai-Khokh Massif. This small cirque-valley glacier is known for its movements which occurred repeatedly - 1834, 1902, 1969. The events that took place in September 2002 attracted attention as a result of the grand scale of the glacial catastrophe and its consequences. The glacier was completely thrown out of the bed. More than 100 million m3 of ice, saturated with water and rocks with huge speed (according to different estimates - from 80 to 200 km / h) swept 15 km down the valley, destroying buildings and killing people on their way. Many articles were written about the causes and mechanisms of the sudden release of the glacier from the circus. Attempts were made to find an explanation for what had happened. But no less important is the question of the possibility of a recurrence of the catastrophe. Is it possible to revive the glacier in modern climatic conditions, when the mass balance of Caucasus glaciers is negative for the past two decades, the glacier areas are shrinking and their languages are retreating at an increasing rate? In this case, we are given a unique opportunity to observe this experiment in order to understand and evaluate the conditions necessary for the restoration of the glacier. Based on the interannual dynamics of the glacier area, it can be assumed that by 2016 the glacier was close to the state of balance equilibrium. The rate of increment of the area of the new glacier in recent years has decreased by 10 times compared with the period of its active development in 2006-2010. The main factors in the formation of a new glacier are avalanche, enhanced ablation of ice, unsteady process of reserving a glacier by rockfalls. What will be the ratio of these factors - will show the future. In this case, we have a unique opportunity to observe the experiment posed by nature itself in order to understand and evaluate the conditions necessary for the restoration of the glacier in the conditions of the modern climate.