Proglacial Fluvial Systems

Glacial, proglacial, paraglacial and periglacial environments are land systems those have different and independent mechanism, processes in charge. Although all four environments have different mechanism, processes, dynamics from each other, all of them can contain glacier ice. The glacier ice is remnant part from retreating glaciers in proglacial conditions and it is a phenomenon that can be defined relatively easily, but it is not simple to recognize and differentiate the glacier ice in paraglacial and periglacial environments. Glacial debris-covered glaciers, paraglacial death ice bodies and periglacial rock glaciers have different environmental, stratigraphic, geomorphologic and physiographic features from each other. Even though they have independent causes and consequences, they can be close to each other or one can follow another transitively or in a locational way. As the landforms which are formed by different processes but have similar shapes, they have characteristic differences. The distinction of these landforms can only be possible by definition of the certain margins of the mechanic, dynamic and geomorphologic differences in these environments. The glacier ice that can be observed commonly in the glacial, paraglacial and periglacial environments of Karçal Mountains (Northeast of Turkey) present inimitable opportunities as the bodies with glacier ice reflect different environments.

Factors governing the spatiotemporal soil development on a deglaciated area of Pindari Glacier in the Indian Central Himalaya were investigated over a timespan of 170 years. Glacier retreat exposed sediments to weathering, decarbonation, illuviation, acidification and melanisation. The spatiotemporal scales of soil transformation in this proglacial environment are significantly greater than in other chronosequences in the alpine environment. The accumulation of SOC and N in the oldest moraine is reflected in high accumulation rates of 52.6 g C m-2 year-1 and 4.8 g N m-2 year-1 in the 20-cm deep soil layer. Reference data from the topsoil of the rhododendron woodlands indicate that the oldest moraine topsoil is close to reaching some sort of a steady state. At least 100 years was required to stabilise the soil cover in most of the proglacial area. The results highlight the importance of rapid glacier retreat as well as inhibited weathering due to plant succession in soil formation, under impact of local climate characterized by high precipitation, temperatures and moisture delivery.