ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON GLACIAL LAKE OUTBURST FLOODS IN KAZAKHSTAN

The intensification of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Kazakhstan during the second half of the last century, against the backdrop of modern glacier degradation, has drawn significant attention from researchers to this natural phenomenon. Numerous surveys conducted in the aftermath of debris flow disasters have shown that the majority of these hazardous natural events were caused by the outbursts of glacial lakes. The primary aim of this review is to create an anthology of research on GLOFs through retrospective, situational and object-based analyses. The situational analysis considered specific events that led to catastrophic GLOFs, arranged in chronological order. The object-based analysis was carried out in various research directions, with the focus on scientific publications that directly addressed the genesis of glacial lakes, their water regimes, the structure of lake dams, the mechanisms of glacial lake outbursts, as well as forecasts and preventive measures against debris flows. The review highlights the significant role of research that has fundamentally contributed to the development and deepening of knowledge in this specific field of Earth sciences.