ASSESSING ROCK GLACIERS’ WATER STORAGE IN THE SOUTHERN CARPATHIANS

This study provides the first estimate of the water volume equivalent (WVEQ) of ground ice in intact rock glaciers within the Southern Carpathians, based on an ice content range of 10 % to 20 %. The research focuses 48 intact rock glaciers, most of which are located in the Retezat Mountains. Using existing geophysical measurements, the ice content was determined to range between 10 % and 20 %, representing the first attempt to estimate WVEQ at such a low ice content. Using the thickness-to-area scaling method, subsurface ice volumes were estimated and converted to WVEQ using an ice density factor of 0.9 g/cm3. The results show that the total estimated water volume ranges from 0.009 km3 at 10 % ice content to 0.014 km3 at 15 %, and 0.018 km3 at 20 %. The largest water volumes are stored in the rock glaciers of the Retezat Mountains, with most of the water concentrated between elevations of 2000 and 2200 m elevation, in north-facing valleys underlain by granite bedrock. The study highlights the critical role of lithology, orientation, and elevation in permafrost preservation in mid-latitude mountains. The findings emphasize that while the water equivalent in intact rock glaciers within marginal periglacial environments is relatively low, their hydrological and ecological significance should not be underestimated, particularly in the context of climate change and permafrost degradation. Significant changes in mountain stream runoff, along with a notable decline in the biodiversity of rock glaciers, are expected to occur within this century at high altitudes in the Southern Carpathians.