In order to illustrate the phenomenon, I shall cite a few observations conducted by Kuzmin in 

 August-September 1934 with regard to the air temperature regime in summer over the Imat 

 Glacier* (basin in Zeravshan River). 



W 



w 



I I M IF F m 



m R Z U M 



-w 



-20" 



-30' 



Figure 10. Graphs of the seasonal variation of air temperature: 1. over the 

 open sea; 2. over the ice of the Kara Sea; 3. over the continent. 



These observations disclosed that at the height of 200 cm above the ice level the air tem- 

 perature was sometimes 4 or 5° higher than the air temperature at a height of 30 cm above the ice 

 surface. The average temperature value for August at a height of 200 cm was 2.7° for the first 

 ten-day period of September, 1.6° higher than the value at the height of 10 cm. 



The absolute moisture at the height of 200 cm was in August 0.4 mm less than at the height of 

 10 cm| but in September 0.2 mm less. The relative moisture at the height of 200 cm was, for 

 these months, 16 and 11 per cent lower than at the height of 10 cm whereas the moisture deficit at 

 the height of 200 cm was approximately twice greater than at the height of 10 cm. 



When analyzing his observations, Kuzmin remarks that over glaciers the air temperature in 

 the day follows almost regularly the intensity of solar radiation, whereas over the sea and land, 

 the air temperature maximum is delayed, because in these cases the air is heated from below. The 

 temperature minimum is observed before sunrise. The maxima of absolute and relative moisture 

 are usually observed after the sunset, and the minima before the sunrise. It is evident that the 

 results of observations by Kuzmin cannot be completely transferred to the arctic ice fields, but 

 they give an idea on the trends of these processes. 



*Not listed in NIS Gazatteer. Possibly Lednik Zeravshanskiy. — Translator. 



46 



