Permafrost Investigations in the Western Pamir: Preliminary Results from ERT, Hydrochemical, and Isotopic Analyses
Jan Lentschke
*
Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany.
Martin Fleischner
Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin, 10099, Germany.
Djamshed A. Abdushukurov
Institute of Water Problem, Hydropower and Ecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Ayni Str. 14A, Dushanbe, 734042, Tajikistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study presents first systematic results on mountain permafrost in the Western Pamir (Tajikistan) and investigates its interactions with the hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of surface waters in a climatically and geomorphologically heterogeneous high mountain environment. The research is based on a field campaign conducted in 2023 in the catchment of the Vanj River and its southern tributary, the Langar River. Permafrost occurrence was assessed using Electrical Resistivity Tomography at seven sites representing different elevations, slope gradients, aspects, and active versus inactive sections of a rock glacier. Complementary hydrochemical analyses were carried out on 21 water samples from rivers, tributaries, and springs, while stable isotope analyses (\(\delta\)18O, \(\delta\)2H) were performed on 33 samples to evaluate water quality and source contributions.
Keywords: Permafrost, ERT, hydrochemistry, isotopes, hydrology, Western Pamir, Tajikistan