National Environment Agency completes nationwide monitoring of glacial valleys using advanced technology

Specialists from the National Environment Agency have conducted another round of nationwide monitoring across Georgia’s glacial valleys.

The research aims to assess glacial hazards, identify potential risk zones, and study the dynamic processes within high-altitude glacial valleys.

As part of the operation, specialists conducted aerial inspections of glacial valleys via helicopter, performed visual and instrumental field-expedition monitoring, and utilised drone footage for detailed situational analysis.

Nationwide glacial hazards and potential risks will be evaluated based on data collected through modern analytical technology.

For the first time during this year’s monitoring campaign, experts deployed an advanced bathymetric aquatic drone to assess the morphometric parameters of glacial lakes situated within the valleys.

Against the backdrop of climate change, glacier degradation processes are underway across the periglacial zones of the Greater Caucasus. These include the formation and fluctuating surface area of glacial lakes, alongside changing conditions of moraine deposits and accumulated debris within river valleys.

To evaluate these ongoing physical processes and track temporal changes, the National Environment Agency conducts targeted annual monitoring across relevant mountain territories in various regions of Georgia.