The Buordakh Massif, in the Cherskiy Range of northeast Siberia, contains mountains over 3000 m and, despite its arid climate, numerous glaciers. This paper presents a glacier inventory for the region and documents some 80 glaciers, which range in size from 0.1 to 10.4 km2 (total glacierized area is ca. 70 km2). The inventory is based on mapping derived from Landsat 7 ETM satellite imagery from August 2001, augmented with data from field investigations obtained at that time. The glaciers in this region are of the ‘firn-less,’ cold, continental type, and their mass balance relies heavily on the formation of superimposed ice. The most recent glacier maximum extents have also been delineated, and these are believed to date from the Little Ice Age (ca. A.D. 1550–1850). Glacier areal extent has reduced by some 14.8 km2 (ca. 17%) since this most recent maximum. Of the 80 glaciers catalogued, 49 have undergone a measurable retreat from their most recent maximum extent.
