Formations of rock glaciers in Karçal Mountains

Abstract

Periglacial shapes form as a result of cold climatic conditions around glaciers. They are widely seen in high mountainous areas. Karçal Mountains are located in Artvin at the North-Eastern Anatolia. It has a mass structure separated from Eastern Black Sea Mountains with the Çoruh River. The mountain chain is approximately 40 km away from the Black Sea. It has summits that partly exceed 3000 m above sea level. As a result of this characteristic, glaciers had the opportunity to developed in the summits in Karçal Mountains during the glacial times. Periglacial shapes were formed in the areas surrounding the glaciers. The most significant of the periglacial shapes encountered here are the Karçal rock glaciers. This study aims to present five rock glaciers that mapped in Karçal Mountains and assess them according to their geographic properties. These are Çamdalı, Karçal, Sakız, Yamukdiken and Ziyaret rock glaciers and cover 0.78 km² and their minimum tongue elevation is 2.800 m. While Karçal and Ziyaret rock glaciers were formed as a result of permafrost effects and are non-active, Çamdalı, Sakız and Yamukdiken rock glaciers were formed as a result of glacier effect and are active. © 2015, Hacettepe Universitesi Yerbilmleri. All rights reserved.