At an altitude of about 5,810 meters, the Kon-Chukurashi glacier is becoming the subject of study for an international team of scientists who conducted an expedition to this remote region. The results of their research were published in the popular science magazine Popular Mechanics, which reports on the unusual increase in the size of the glacier despite global climate changes.
The researchers extracted two ice samples over 100 meters long from the ice cap. One of the cores was sent to the Antarctic repository of the Ice Memory Foundation for long-term storage of climate data, while the second sample was handed over to the Low Temperature Research Institute of Hokkaido University, where Professor Yoshinori Iizuka will analyze it to determine the reasons for the glacier's unusual resilience.
The PAMIR expedition on the Kon-Chukurashi ice cap, 2025.
Scientists hope that the information contained in these cores, covering up to 30,000 years of climate data, will help shed light on the reasons for the growth of the Kon-Chukurashi glacier and its significance for other glaciers in the future.
The ice cap is located in the Sarikol Range of the Pamir Mountains, in the eastern part of Tajikistan, on the border with China. The height of the Kon-Chukurashi peak reaches 5,811 meters above sea level, and the ice cover forms on its slopes.
The region is characterized by a high-altitude plateau with a harsh continental climate and minimal human impact, making access to the glacier possible mainly for scientific expeditions.
