Semenov Glacier
Semenov Glacier - the basin of the upper reaches of the Sarydjaz River.
This basin includes the glaciers at the sources of the Sarydjaz River and the glaciers on the northern slope of the Aydyrtor ridge, excluding its western section — the basin of the Turegeldyn River.
There are 44 glaciers in the basin with a total area of 118.5 km². Of these, 64.1 km² belongs to the Semenov Glacier system, which originates on the northwestern slopes of Semenov Peak, at the junction of the Terkey-Alatau and Sarydjaz ridges.
Semenov Glacier is a glacier in the Central Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan (Issyk-Kul region). It is located on the northern slope of the Sarydjaz ridge in the upper reaches of the river of the same name. The length of the glacier is about 21 km, and its width is up to 1.5 km.
The main area of firn lies on the northern slopes of the Sarydjaz ridge, from the foot to the very ridge, covered with firn and snow. Avalanches also play a significant role in feeding the glacier and its tributaries.
On the right, from the slopes of the Terkey-Alatau ridge, two tributaries with a total area of 5.3 km² flow into the Semenov Glacier.
The main mass of ice comes from five left tributaries. They flow down from the Aydyrtor ridge and, upon merging with the main glacier, form morainic ridges on its surface. The left tributaries are quite large, with lengths reaching 3-4 km. One of the features of the Semenov Glacier was considered to be the presence of a 5-6 km "dead zone" in the ablation area. However, using rapid cross-sections, it was established that the ice in the dead zone moves at a speed of 4-5 cm per day, so it cannot be considered "dead." Another characteristic feature of the Semenov Glacier, like some other large glaciers of the Tien Shan, is its peculiar surface structure: smooth areas alternate with areas of "pockmarked" relief — surfaces with numerous depressions resembling karst formations. The depressions are asymmetrical and are predominantly located along lines of maximum ice movement speeds. The diameter of individual depressions is 30-50 m. In some of them, meltwater accumulates, forming numerous lakes.
The glacier was discovered in 1857 by the Russian explorer Pyotr Petrovich Semenov (later known as Semenov-Tian-Shansky), in honor of whom it was named.
