High-resolution mapping of circum-Antarctic landfast sea ice distribution, 2000–2018

• Published in: Earth System Science Data
• Main Authors: A. D. Fraser, R. A. Massom, K. I. Ohshima, S. Willmes, P. J. Kappes, J. Cartwright, R. Porter-Smith
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2020
• Subjects: geo; envir; Antarctic; The Antarctic; East Antarctica; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2987-2020; https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/2987/2020/essd-12-2987-2020.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/dcc296de7e454539aea8eb797fd41837

Landfast sea ice (fast ice) is an important component of the Antarctic nearshore marine environment, where it strongly modulates ice sheet–ocean–atmosphere interactions and biological and biogeochemical processes, forms a key habitat, and affects logistical operations. Given the wide-ranging importance of Antarctic fast ice and its sensitivity to climate change, improved knowledge of its change and variability in its distribution is a high priority. Antarctic fast-ice mapping to date has been limited to regional studies and a time series covering East Antarctica from 2000 to 2008. Here, we present the first continuous, high-spatio-temporal resolution (1 km, 15 d) time series of circum-Antarctic fast-ice extent; this covers the period March 2000 to March 2018, with future updates planned. This dataset was derived by compositing cloud-free satellite visible and thermal infrared imagery using an existing methodology, modified to enhance automation and reduce subjectivity in defining the fast-ice edge. This new dataset (Fraser et al., 2020) has wide applicability and is available at https://doi.org/10.26179/5d267d1ceb60c. The new algorithm presented here will enable continuous large-scale fast-ice mapping and monitoring into the future.