High-resolution mapping of circum-Antarctic landfast sea ice distribution, 2000-2018
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 importa...
| Published in: | Earth System Science Data |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus GmbH
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36019/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/36019/1/142747%20-%20High-resolution%20mapping%20of%20circum-Antarctic%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20distribution,%202000-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | 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. |
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