| Summary: | This paper presents results of the sediment dynamic analysis of the Martel Inlet, King George Island, South Shetlands. As a consequence of the rising trend in study area mean surface air temperature, a rapid glacier front retreat occurred in the last decades, which has caused noticeable environmental changes, including impacts on sediment dynamics on the Martel Inlet. GIS techniques were applied for spatial and temporal changes analysis of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), using: (1) visible bands of SPOT HRV imageries obtained in February, 1988 and 2000, and in March, 1995; (2) TERRA ASTER imagery obtained in November, 2005. Furthermore, SSC sample data from subglacial frontal zone of the glacier were correlated with meteorological data. SSC data presented significant correlation with glaciers retreat that drain into the fjord, and thus they can be used as indicators of the consequences of climatic variability for the sedimentary dynamic in the study area. This methodology allowed us to obtain satisfactory results for the pattern analysis of SSC spatial and temporal changes in the Martel Inlet, during the months analyzed. By using GIS techniques, we could evaluate the intensity of the glacier sediment production in the study area and its meltwater runoff.
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