ИСТИНА

The ice-covered volcanic massif Elbrus (5,642 m) is a unique object for studying the reaction of mountain glaciers to climate changes. Elbrus glaciers contain more than 10% of the total ice volume in the Greater Caucasus. Garabashi glacier was the subject of glaciological studies of the Institute of Geography RAS, Moscow starting in the 1982. The components of the glacier mass balance are determined annually by direct measurements. In recent years the mass balance values were strongly negative, the glacier loses mass faster than during the entire period of direct observations. Over the last 20 years since 1997 the cumulative mass balance reached -12.4 m. w.e. The average annual mass balance was -0.6 m. w.e. The rate of mass loss has almost doubled in recent decade (2007-2017) compare to 1997-2007. Glacier surface area reduced by 0.5 km2 over the 20 years. Here we present a recent mass balance data as well as the geodetic mass balance changes. Two high resolution DEMs were used: 1997 DEM completed by the Moscow State University from the aerial photography and the Pléiades stereopair of 2017. In coming 3 years a new project for Elbrus glacier mass balance measurements is proposed. It will include new stake network on several glaciers, AWS installation, runoff measurements and modelling. The accumulation will be measured every year using high frequency GPR. The Pléiades stereo-pair used in this study was provided by the Pléiades Glacier Observatory initiative of the French Space Agency (CNES) This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for basic research grant 18-05-00838.