Dynamics of water level in Alakol and Sasykkol lakes based on space altimetry (2016-2026)
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https://doi.org/10.32523/3107-278X-2026-156-3-193-203Keywords:
ғарыштық альтиметрия, DAHITI, Алакөл, Сасықкөл, көл, су деңгейі, Манн-КендаллAbstract
The Alakol-Sasykkol lake system forms a single hydrological system located in the Balkhash-Alakol basin in eastern Kazakhstan, fed by the waterflows from Zhetysu-Alatau and Tarbagatai ranges. However, the hydrological regimes of the two lakes differ: Alakol is a brackish-water endorheic lake, while Sasykkol is a freshwater lake with an inflow, receiving its main water supply from the Tentek River and connected to Lake Alakol via Lake Koshkarkol. Under these conditions, assessing water level changes in the two lakes and the characteristics of their interconnections is of hydrological significance. The study used DAHITI satellite altimetry data: 125 observations from a virtual station in Alakol (ID 14036) for 2016–2026, and 796 observations from a virtual station in Sasykkol (ID 229) for 2002–2026. These series were compared with data from the Rybzavod hydrological station of the KazHydromet Republican State Enterprise. Water level trends were assessed using the Mann-Kendall test, and the rates of change were calculated using the Theil-Sen slope. It was found that the Alakol level has been decreasing by approximately 13.46 cm per year (Mann-Kendall test τ = −0.511, p = 0.0466). The median water level in the warm season decreased from 350.7 m in 2016-2018 to 349.9 m in 2022-2026, thus, the decrease amounted to 0.86 m. Although the Sasykkol level decreased (2.13 cm/year), no statistically significant monotonic trend was detected over the observation period of 2002-2026. These results indicate that the phase of Alakol level decline is not synchronous with the phase of Sasykkol level decline and provide evidence of a regressive phase.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Сельвина Алиева, Канат Самарханов, Ерболат Муканов (Автор)
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