Atmospheric and cryospheric observations in the high-altitude Zarafshon River Basin and the Hydrographic Party Glacier (GGP), Tajikistan, 2018–2025

Svensson, Jonas; Rakhmonov, Ramazon; Nazirzoda, Kamoliddin; Hojiev, Abdusamad; Jurabekov, Tamlikho; Hiyoev, Amirsho; Rahimzoda, Davlatjon; Kholzoda, Hizbullo; Shodmonov, Muzaffar; Brus, David; Le, Viet; Luoma, Krista; Lemos, Adriano; Perez Fogwill, Germán; Ruppel, Meri M.; Meinander, Outi; Ström, Johan; Asmi, Eija; Hyvärinen, Antti

doi:10.5194/essd-18-5697-2026

Articles | Volume 18, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5697-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5697-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 7

Data description article

|

31 Jul 2026

Data description article |

| 31 Jul 2026

Atmospheric and cryospheric observations in the high-altitude Zarafshon River Basin and the Hydrographic Party Glacier (GGP), Tajikistan, 2018–2025

Jonas Svensson, Ramazon Rakhmonov, Kamoliddin Nazirzoda, Abdusamad Hojiev, Tamlikho Jurabekov, Amirsho Hiyoev, Davlatjon Rahimzoda, Hizbullo Kholzoda, Muzaffar Shodmonov, David Brus, Viet Le, Krista Luoma, Adriano Lemos, Germán Perez Fogwill, Meri M. Ruppel, Outi Meinander, Johan Ström, Eija Asmi, and Antti Hyvärinen

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Final revised paper (published on 31 Jul 2026)
Supplement to the final revised paper
Preprint (discussion started on 03 Mar 2026)
Supplement to the preprint

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

RC1: 'Comment on essd-2025-609', Anonymous Referee #1, 15 Mar 2026

The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2025-609/essd-2025-609-RC1-supplement.pdf

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-609-RC1
RC2: 'Comment on essd-2025-609', Anonymous Referee #2, 19 Apr 2026

Review of Svensson et al for ESSD 2026
The manuscripts present a comprehensive dataset for at GGP glacier in Tajikistan, spanning several disciplines from classical glaciology to snow chemistry. While data collection spans a relatively short period, it is valuable because of the scarcity of data in the area. With revisions regarding mainly the methods description but also figure and table updates I can recommend this data description paper for publication.
Suggested revisions and clarifications
Introduction: I am missing an overview of similar data available in the area – maybe a map of something. You state that measurements at this elevation are sparse – does that mean that there are none published?
Line 60: It would be nice to make this data available also or point to a source?
Line 91: It would be nice to see the box outlined on one of the maps.
Paragraph around line 114-117: Maybe this would be easier to read in a table?
Section 2.3: Do you use the same GPS for stake positions? In line 130 you mention the stake positions were recorded with GPS, but with which system and with which accuracy?
Line 162-163 needs a revision for readability “[…] in a melted state but light protected state […]” and it ends with ..
Section 2.5: From Figure 3 it looks like new stakes were drilled every year, and that is not really clear in this section. Could you add some information, for example was the stakes redrilled every year and at what position, the original position or other places? State here also what the measurement strategy was, like did you only measure the stakes at the end of the melt season? When you say stake height is it then from the ice surface to the top of the stake? And was it deliberate to not put any in the accumulation zone? Maybe it was not logistically possible?
Section 2.6: Is there any calibration routine suggested by the producer of the AWS and was this done?
166: I don’t know what an Ion chromatograph is, so maybe that’s why I don’t know what you mean with “(Waters)” maybe this could be elaborated a bit.
171-172: I don’t really understand what is meant by “[…] to be representative of the specific years’ expedition […] ”. I think it becomes clear later in the text but could be elaborated a bit here.
Table 2: In the *) lines: I think it should be 2019.8.31 – 9.3 (not 3.9)
Figure 3: I don’t understand why there are two different image sources Bing and Maxar?
215: I think the word “diminishing” suggest a trend, but there are too few years of observation to say anything about highly variable snow cover.
Figure 4: The y-axis should state that it is a retreat from the first observation, this should also be made clear in the figure text.
221-236: Consider putting this information into a table?
Table 4: please describe in details in the caption what is GPC and CP
Figure 5: As far as I am aware Open Street Map is vector maps only and they do not offer any satellite images, so I wonder what is the source of the background image?
266: If you used the same GPS as was used to outline the terminus area, you stated that there is an accuracy of 5 to 10 m, then these changes are so close to the accuracy limit that maybe it is not correct to conclude anything? Maybe there are some arguments to be stated to prove me wrong.
Line 267: bottom -> terminus?
298-299: Maybe add a few words about the expected temperature increase due to normal lapse rates, but for sure also keep the point about the local temperature being affected by other things than just elevation.

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-609-RC2
AC1: 'Author comment on essd-2025-609', Jonas Svensson, 03 Jun 2026

The response is attached as a supplement.

Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-609-AC1

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload

AR by Jonas Svensson on behalf of the Authors (18 Jun 2026) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (22 Jun 2026) by Baptiste Vandecrux

RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (27 Jun 2026)

Suggestions for revision or reasons for rejection

I thank the authors for their responses to the earlier comments and the work that has gone into revisions. I find the manuscript much improved, particularly regarding the structure of the different sections and separation of methods and results/discussions. It now presents an easy to follow overview of the considerable data collection efforts at this site, with enough context for potential users to make the most of the provided data sets. I re-downloaded the DSM files and orthomosaics and am now able to open all of them, thank you for fixing that issue.
I have a few mostly very minor remaining comments - see below - and look forward to seeing this work published in ESSD. (Note: a final round of proof reading for grammar and concise phrasing may be beneficial.)

L 30 the runoff …. are critical —> is?
L91 Sentinel-2 satellite carries —> Sentinel-2 satellites carry ? (There are multiple)
L125 positions were marked with red crosses of about 2 m arm length —> in the responses you mention that you marked them with spray paint. I suggest including this information here as it may be of interest to others that this approach (spray paint on ice) apparently does not work well.
L126 only one out of four recorded red cross marks on stakes’ position were found on images, and three moving target problems (MTPs) —> Not sure I understand this. The crosses were found on moving target problems? What does that mean? Can this be explained or phrased more clearly?

L216 two snow pits were excavated, with the first one located in the higher section of the glacier —> add reference to the figure showing the locations

L255 three spectras, which are —> I think the plural of spectrum is spectra. To match the rest of the paragraph, use past tense here (were)

L276 This section and its subchapters present some data results for the different measured parameters, including also some initial context commentary to the acquired results. -->
This could be omitted as the section headings are pretty self-explanatory. If you keep it, consider more concise phrasing (e.g.,: some data results -> results)

Figure 6: Thank you for adding the GPS points to this figure. Please add the purple/brown markers in a and c to the legend. The green markers for 2024 are hard to see - maybe try making them larger or a higher contrast color?

Section 3.5 Ablation stakes
I still struggle a bit with the description of the stake movement. Thank you for confirming in the responses that you do actually mean lateral as in sideways. Does that mean there was no longitudinal movement, or is this simply a way of saying “horizontal” movement as opposed to vertical change (ablation, dynamic emergence)? Perhaps I misunderstand what you mean -I
think this could be clarified easily by briefly explaining your reference system for the movement, for example by stating that lateral refers to movement perpendicular to the center line of the glacier (if that is what you mean?). If your movement data is not split into sideways and lengthwise components (my current interpretation), it could be phrased as “Xm horizontal displacement in a northwest direction from the initial stake position” or something similar to avoid confusion re. lateral/longitudinal. I think it would also be good to explicitly state the uncertainty of the GPS again in this section.

L400 this paper presentS
L419 The general results of the GGP front, displays —> no comma, display without s (results…display). Or: The GGP front displays …
I suggest changing “diminishing” to “low” in the next sentence.

Hide

RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (29 Jun 2026)

ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (29 Jun 2026) by Baptiste Vandecrux

Dear Dr. Svensson and co-authors,

One of your reviewer is fully satisfied with your revision and the other has provided additional minor comments. I copy them below.
I am happy to accept your manuscript for publication after you have thoroughly addressed these comments.

Kind regards,
Baptiste

---
I thank the authors for their responses to the earlier comments and the work that has gone into revisions. I find the manuscript much improved, particularly regarding the structure of the different sections and separation of methods and results/discussions. It now presents an easy to follow overview of the considerable data collection efforts at this site, with enough context for potential users to make the most of the provided data sets. I re-downloaded the DSM files and orthomosaics and am now able to open all of them, thank you for fixing that issue.
I have a few mostly very minor remaining comments - see below - and look forward to seeing this work published in ESSD. (Note: a final round of proof reading for grammar and concise phrasing may be beneficial.)

L 30 the runoff …. are critical —> is?
L91 Sentinel-2 satellite carries —> Sentinel-2 satellites carry ? (There are multiple)
L125 positions were marked with red crosses of about 2 m arm length —> in the responses you mention that you marked them with spray paint. I suggest including this information here as it may be of interest to others that this approach (spray paint on ice) apparently does not work well.
L126 only one out of four recorded red cross marks on stakes’ position were found on images, and three moving target problems (MTPs) —> Not sure I understand this. The crosses were found on moving target problems? What does that mean? Can this be explained or phrased more clearly?

L216 two snow pits were excavated, with the first one located in the higher section of the glacier —> add reference to the figure showing the locations

L255 three spectras, which are —> I think the plural of spectrum is spectra. To match the rest of the paragraph, use past tense here (were)

L276 This section and its subchapters present some data results for the different measured parameters, including also some initial context commentary to the acquired results. -->
This could be omitted as the section headings are pretty self-explanatory. If you keep it, consider more concise phrasing (e.g.,: some data results -> results)

Figure 6: Thank you for adding the GPS points to this figure. Please add the purple/brown markers in a and c to the legend. The green markers for 2024 are hard to see - maybe try making them larger or a higher contrast color?

Section 3.5 Ablation stakes
I still struggle a bit with the description of the stake movement. Thank you for confirming in the responses that you do actually mean lateral as in sideways. Does that mean there was no longitudinal movement, or is this simply a way of saying “horizontal” movement as opposed to vertical change (ablation, dynamic emergence)? Perhaps I misunderstand what you mean -I think this could be clarified easily by briefly explaining your reference system for the movement, for example by stating that lateral refers to movement perpendicular to the center line of the glacier (if that is what you mean?). If your movement data is not split into sideways and lengthwise components (my current interpretation), it could be phrased as “Xm horizontal displacement in a northwest direction from the initial stake position” or something similar to avoid confusion re. lateral/longitudinal. I think it would also be good to explicitly state the uncertainty of the GPS again in this section.

L400 this paper presentS
L419 The general results of the GGP front, displays —> no comma, display without s (results…display). Or: The GGP front displays …
I suggest changing “diminishing” to “low” in the next sentence.

Hide

AR by Jonas Svensson on behalf of the Authors (14 Jul 2026) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (23 Jul 2026) by Baptiste Vandecrux

AR by Jonas Svensson on behalf of the Authors (23 Jul 2026) Manuscript

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Short summary

This paper presents data collected at the Zarafshon River Basin and the Hydrographic Party Glacier (GGP), Tajikistan. In annual field expeditions from 2018–2025, data has been collected on the glacier, as well as including meteorological measurements and aerosols. Presented results highlight the environmental conditions that are driving environmental change in Central Asia.