Advances in mapping ice-free surfaces within the Northern Antarctic peninsula region using polarimetric RADARSAT-2 data

• Published in: IGARSS 2018 - 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
• Main Authors: Schmid, Thomas, Guillaso, Stephane, Lopez-Martinez, Jeronimo, Nieto, Ana, Mink, Sandra, Koch, Magaly
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 2018
• Subjects: Science & technology; Physical sciences; Engineering; electrical & electronic; Geosciences; multidisciplinary; Remote sensing; Geology; RADARSAT-2; Polarimetry; Geomorphology; South Shetland Islands; Antarctica; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; King George Island; Raised Beach; Antarc*; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/2144/40350; http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000451039800055&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=6e74115fe3da270499c3d65c9b17d654

Ice-free areas within the Northern Antarctic Peninsula region are of interest for studying changes occurring to surface covers, including those related to glacial coverage, raised beach deposits and periglacial processes and permafrost. The objective of this work is to map the main surface covers within ice-free areas of King George Island, the largest island of the South Shetlands archipelago, using fully polarimetric RADARSAT-2 SAR data. Surface covers such as rock outcrops and glacial till, stone fields, patterned ground, and sand and gravel deposits form the most representative classes and account for 84 km2 of the ice-free areas on the island. A distribution of complex geomorphological features and landforms was obtained, being some of them considered indicators of periglacial processes and presence of permafrost. Published version