TSU Scientists Create Digital Twins of Altai Mountains Glaciers
Scientists from Tomsk State University’s Faculty of Geology and Geography have surveyed four glaciers in the Altai Mountains using drones. Based on the data, the researchers will create digital twins to help predict how quickly the ice is melting.
The survey was conducted in the Bish-Iirdu mountain massif in summer 2026 as part of a Russian Science Foundation project. The study covered the Maly Aktru, Levyi Aktru, Vodopadny and Levyi Tete glaciers. Researchers plan to survey 80 glaciers in the area in total.
According to Erofeev, comparing the new data with earlier observations confirms a sharp decline in glaciation in the Central Altai. The surfaces of glacier tongues are dropping by as much as three to five meters a year. Glacier melt is already causing flooding and raising water levels in rivers. But once ice volumes fall to a critical level, the region could face freshwater shortages.
The scientists expect the project’s findings to make it possible to assess the ice mass balance in the Altai over recent decades and build models to predict how local rivers will behave.
