Geomorphon Method Applied to Antártica: Identification of Paraglacial Relief Forms of Macro and Meso-Scale, King George Island, South Shetlands Islands

• Published in: Ecosphere
• Main Authors: Petsch, Carina, Perondi, Cleiva, Rosa, Kátia Kellem da, Vieira, Rosemary, Robaina, Luís Eduardo de Souza, Trentin, Romario
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas - Departamento de Geografía 2022
• Subjects: automatic classification; glacial geomorphology; South Shetland Islands; digital elevation models; paraglacial processes; Glaciology; Geography; physical geography; clasificación automática; geomorfología glacial; Islas Shetland del Sur; modelos digitales de elevación; procesos paraglaciales; Glaciología; Geografía; geografía física; classificação automática; geomorfologia glacial; Ilhas Shetland do Sul; modelos digitais de elevação; processos paraglaciais; Glaciologia; Geografia; geografia física; King George Island; Hielo; Shetland del Sur; islas Shetland del Sur; Valles; Rey Jorge; Isla Rey Jorge; Ecology Glacier; Annals of Glaciology; Antarctic Science; Antártica; Polar Research; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/rcg/article/view/85644

With the retraction of glaciers in maritime Antártica, and the climate change scenarios, it is necessary to understand the geomorphological processes at work in these recently exposed areas. The purpose of the article is to present the Geomorphon Method for Antártica (Geomorphon Method Revised to Antártica–GMA) applied to the mapping of landforms in the ice-free areas of King George Island. The classification evaluation was carried out based on the interpretation of the MDE and on the field work carried out in 2015 and 2016. The relief elements identified by the GMA were related to the erosive and depositional forms of the glacial genesis macro scale, as valleys, aretes, horns and meso-scale, such as glaciofluvial channels, moraines of advance and recession, and even those of paraglacial and marine genesis. Frontal advancing moraines were identified in all areas, except for the Ecology glacier paraglacial system, and together with the mapped U-valleys, they indicate the old direction of flow of the glaciers, and places where there was greater thickness of ice. The identification of these forms contributes to studies that evaluate the succession of changes in the landscape with the recent retraction of glacial systems, proving the potential of GMA. Con el retroceso de los glaciares en la Antártica marítima y los escenarios de cambio climático, es necesario comprender los procesos geomorfológicos que actúan en estas áreas recientemente expuestas. El propósito del artículo es presentar el Método geomorphon aplicado a la Antártica (Método Geomorphon aplicado a Antártica–MGA), para el mapeo de las formas de relieve en las áreas libres de hielo de la Isla Rey Jorge. La evaluación de la clasificación se realizó con base en la interpretación de MDE y algunos trabajos de campo realizados en los años 2015 y 2016. Los elementos del relieve identificados por el mga se relacionaron con las formas erosivas y depositacionales de génesis glacial, por una parte, de macro escala como valles, crestas, picos y, por otra, de ...