Medium resolution vector polygons of the Antarctic coastline

• Main Authors: Gerrish, Laura, Fretwell, Peter, Cooper, Paul
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation 2020
• Subjects: "EARTH SCIENCE","LAND SURFACE","TOPOGRAPHY","TERRAIN ELEVATION","CONTOUR MAPS"; "EARTH SCIENCE","LAND SURFACE","TOPOGRAPHY"; Antarctic Digital Database; Antarctica; Coastline; Land cover; Land use; Topographic mapping; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; British Antarctic Survey; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5285/ed0a7b70-5adc-4c1e-8d8a-0bb5ee659d18; https://data.bas.ac.uk/items/ed0a7b70-5adc-4c1e-8d8a-0bb5ee659d18

Coastline for Antarctica created from various mapping and remote sensing sources, provided as polygons with 'land', 'ice shelf', 'ice tongue' or 'rumple' attribute. This dataset has been generalised from the high resolution vector polygons. Covering all land and ice shelves south of 60S. Suitable for topographic mapping and analysis. Data compiled, managed and distributed by the Mapping and Geographic Information Centre and the UK Polar Data Centre, British Antarctic Survey on behalf of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. : Dataset compiled from a variety of Antarctic map and satellite image sources. The dataset was created using ArcGIS and QGIS GIS software programmes and has been checked for basic topography and geometry checks, but does not contain strict topology. Quality varies across the dataset and certain areas where high resolution source data were available are suitable for large scale maps whereas other areas are only suitable for smaller scales. Each polygon contains a 'surface' attribute with either 'land', 'ice shelf', 'ice tongue' or 'rumple'. Details of when and how each line was created can be found in the attributes of the high or medium resolution polyline coastline dataset. Data sources range in time from 1990s-2020 - individual lines contain exact source dates. This medium resolution version has been generalised from the high resolution version. All polygons inferior to 0.1km not intersecting anything else were deleted and the 'simplify' tool was used in ArcGIS with the 'point remove' algorithm and a smoothing tolerance of 50 m.