Glacial geomorphology of the Enguri River headwaters, Georgian Caucasus

Glacial geomorphological mapping is essential for understanding the present-day landscape shaped by glaciers and for reconstructing the history of past glacial changes. Integrating field observations with remote sensing data is crucial for multidisciplinary approaches in glacial geomorphology. This study presents a high-resolution (1:33,000) glacial geomorphological map of the Enguri River headwaters (∼358 km²) in the Georgian Caucasus Mountains (See the main map). The mapping integrates extensive field surveys with remote sensing techniques conducted between 2019 and 2024. The high-resolution PlanetScope imagery, ALOS PALSAR digital elevation models (DEMs), and original ortho images from an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) were the main data source used for mapping in the study. The map presents key glacial features and landforms such as modern glaciers, rock glaciers, moraine ridges, cirques, outwash plains, and alluvial fans, documenting both erosional and depositional features shaped by past and present glacial activity. Our mapping revealed that moraine ridges are widely preserved, particularly in the Khaldechala River valley (43.0178°N, 42.8736°E), where approximately 20 lateral and frontal moraine ridges have been identified. This map improves our understanding of the region’s geomorphology and landscape evolution and lays a foundation for future geochronological studies of glacial behavior and their environmental impacts.