@article{fdi:010092627,
  title = {{F}ive decades of {A}bramov glacier dynamics reconstructed with multi-sensor optical remote sensing},
  author = {{M}attea, {E}. and {B}erthier, {E}. and {D}ehecq, {A}maury and {B}olch, {T}. and {B}hattacharya, {A}. and {G}huffar, {S}. and {B}arandun, {M}. and {H}oelzle, {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}eference glacier sites with systematic in situ monitoring provide crucial information to understand trends in regional change. {T}hroughout {C}entral {A}sia, several sites have been established over the past 15 years, often restarting long-term time series interrupted after the {S}oviet {U}nion's collapse. {T}he region also features widespread ice flow instabilities, including surge-type glaciers. {U}nstable ice dynamics have been usually observed within large-scale remote sensing studies, with limited ground validation or historical observations. {T}his hampers interpretation of the driving factors of glacier change, their interaction with mass balance, and regional representativity of single glaciers. {H}ere, we reconstruct ice dynamics at the reference {A}bramov glacier using satellite-based optical remote sensing. {T}he glacier, monitored in situ over 1967-1999 and again since 2011, experienced a well-documented episode of fast flow in 1972-1973. {W}e compile a 55-year dataset of digital elevation models ({DEM}s) and orthoimages by processing raw and analysis-ready imagery from multiple archives, including declassified reconnaissance satellites, the {S}atellite {P}our l'{O}bservation de la {T}erre ({SPOT}), and {R}apid{E}ye. {O}ur estimates for glacier length and volume changes agree well with previous observational, remote sensing, and model studies. {W}e describe at subseasonal scale a second pulsation over 2000-2005 - not observed in situ and poorly resolved by {L}andsat and {ASTER} products. {W}e also measure the buildup to a third velocity pulsation, with doubling of mean annual velocity since 2011 despite a continued mass loss of -0.55 +/- 0.06 m w.e. yr-1. {T}he collected evidence indicates that {A}bramov is a surge-type glacier with a recurrence time of 20-30 years, challenging its representativity for regional mass balance. {H}owever, we also find a decreasing magnitude and increasing duration of the pulsations, suggestive of a potential ongoing transition towards more stable dynamics.},
  keywords = {{ASIE} {CENTRALE} ; {KIRGHIZISTAN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}ryosphere},
  volume = {19},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {219--247},
  ISSN = {1994-0416},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.5194/tc-19-219-2025},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010092627},
}