The Cryosphere Discuss., doi:10.5194/tc-2017-48, 2017 Manuscript under review for journal The Cryosphere Discussion started: 3 April 2017 c Author(s) 2017. CC-BY 3.0 License. The Greater Caucasus Glacier Inventory (Russia/Georgia/Azerbaijan) Levan G. Tielidze1,3, Roger D. Wheate2 1Department of Geomorphology, Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography, Ivane, Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 6 Tamarashvili st., Tbilisi, Georgia, 0177 5 2Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada, V2N 4Z9 3Department of Earth Sciences, Georgian National Academy of Sciences, 52 Rustaveli Ave., Tbilisi, Georgia, 0108 Correspondence to: Levan G. Tielidze (
[email protected]) 10 Abstract While there are a large number of glaciers in the Greater Caucasus, the region is not fully represented in modern glacier databases with previous incomplete inventories. Here, we present an expanded glacier inventory for this region over the 1960- 1986-2014 period. Large scale topographic maps and satellite imagery (Landsat 5, Landsat 8 and ASTER) were used to 15 conduct a remote sensing survey of glacier change in the Greater Caucasus mountains. Glacier margins were mapped manually and reveal that, in 1960, the mountains contained 2349 glaciers, with a total glacier surface area of 1674.9±35.2 km2. By 1986, glacier surface area had decreased to 1482.1±32.2 km2 (2209 glaciers), and by 2014, to 1193.2±27.0 km2 (2020 glaciers). This represents a 28.8±2.2% (481±10.6 km2) reduction in total glacier surface area between 1960 and 2014 and a marked acceleration in the rate of area loss since 1986.