TY  - JOUR
TI  - Evidence of an active glacier in the Munzur Mountains, eastern Turkey
AB  - The Munzur Mountains were subjected to extensive and repeated glaciations during the Pleistocene. The presence of an activeglacier in the region was not verified until this study. Here, we used remote sensing methods to identify and locate the glaciers andverified the activity of the largest glacier in the field. We named this glacier the Şahintaşı Glacier and studied it using 3D ArcGIS spatialanalyses overlaid on high-resolution Geographical Information Systems (GIS) satellite images. The most current version of LANDSAT 8(acquired on 14.08.2013) supplied the remote sensing information. We used principal component analysis on the data. The precise areaswhere glaciers might be located were plotted. The data collection provided critical information to formulate an accurate representationof the Şahintaşı Glacier. The glacier dimensions are significant. It has a total area of 104,587 ± 10,458 m 2 , with a length of 410 m, a widthof 386 m, and an estimated maximum thickness of 90 ± 10 m. In the fore field, we identified 4 well-preserved terminal moraines. Thesemoraines are remarkable in that the processes of their initial formation are immediately visible. The morphological properties of thecirque (its closure or high circularity, aspect, steepness, and near vertical walls), the high altitude, and the north-facing orientation areunique circumstances that have cumulatively helped preserve the Şahintaşı Glacier. The lithostratigraphic structure has had a largeinfluence on the depth and circularity of the cirques. In the central section of the mountains, where the limestone is thicker, karsticdevelopment occurred vertically during the preglacial period, forming deep dolines that created steep-walled cirques and helped theglaciers survive until today. In addition, the mountains that are under the influence of northerly cold air masses in winter experiencesignificant snowfall due to convective instability. The Munzur Mountains, which extend in an east-westerly direction in the manner ofa 100-km wall and have summits surpassing 3000 m, allow for significant snow accumulation.
AU  - ÇILĞIN, ZEYNEL
AU  - Döker, Mehmet Fatih
AU  - BAYRAKDAR, Cihan
AU  - Canpolat, Ergin
PY  - 2015
JO  - Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences
VL  - 24
IS  - 1
SN  - 1300-0985
SP  - 56
EP  - 71
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/244274
ER  -