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The results of 20 years of field data (1963–1982) and 50 years of remote observations (1963–2012) on Medvezhy Glacier in the Pamirs by the Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, are considered. The prevalence of the influence of climatic factors over internal ones (features of ice deformation) on glacial surges is shown. A conclusion is made about the uniqueness of the surge regime of Medvezhy Glacier connected with the structure of its bed. There are no analogues of this structure of the bed on any of the 82 surging glaciers in the Pamirs.

This paper reports that in the period of global warming continuing over 150 years, there are the glaciers growing in size.

Based on systematic surveys and analysis of the satellite images under the GLIMS international project, the rate of glacier shrinkage and the increase in this rate for the past 15 years are estimated.

We distinguished 32 regional glacier systems in continental Eurasia. We found that 80% of the glacier area and 90% of the glacier volume are concentrated in

Recent decades are characterized by progressively increasing cosmic information on glacier sizes. The effectively used satellite images obtained by the LANDSAT/TM, SPOT/HRV, JERS/OPS, and ASTER systems [1] are now supplemented with high� resolution satellite information: Ikonos, QuickBird, EROS, OrbVie, WorldView, ALOS, Cartosat, and Tet�

We describe an investigation that combines space-based observations of glacier parameters with histor- ical glaciological data derived by traditional means to predict changes in ice extent and volume for the Ak-shirak Range in the interior Tien Shan of Central Asia. A variety of geographic information systems and photogrammetric tools are used to extract glacier outlines, derive of a digital elevation model, and compute area versus elevation distribution functions from data acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Re- flection radiometer. These products are then used in a glaciological methodology that can predict the response of glacier systems to changes in local climate.

[1] Global analysis of glacier regimes reveals widespread wastage since the late 1970s, with a marked acceleration in the late 1980s. We investigate changes in the heavily glacierized Ak-shirak Range, central Tien Shan plateau (43°N, 75°E) using air photo mapping surveys (1943 and 1977), an ASTER imagery (2001), and long term glaciological and meteorological observations. The wasting of the Ak-shirak glacier system features a decrease in average glacier size, and an increase in the area of outcrops. A small shrinkage during 1943–1977 was followed by a greater than 20% reduction during 1977–2001 in response to increases in summer and annual air temperature and decreases in annual precipitation.