Abstract
The aim of this article is to show geomorphological mapping of remote Antarctic locations using images taken by a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. We mapped landform assemblages developed in forelands of Ecology Glacier (EGF), Sphinx Glacier (SGF) and Baranowski Glacier (BGF) in Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 128 (ASPA 128) on King George Island (South Shetland Islands) and inferred about glacial dynamics. The orthophoto and digital elevation model allowed for geomorphological mapping of glacial forelands, including (i) glacial depositional landforms, (ii) fluvial and fluvioglacial landforms, (iii) littoral and lacustrine landforms, (iv) bodies of water, and (v) other. The largest area is occupied by ground moraine and glacial lagoons on EGF and BGF. The most profound features of EGF are the large latero-frontal moraine ridges from Little Ice Age and the first half of the 20th century. Large areas of ground moraine, frequently fluted and marked with large recessional moraine ridges, dominate on SGF. A significant percentage of bedrock outcrops and end moraine complexes characterize BGF. The landform assemblages are typical for discontinuous fast ice flow of tidewater glaciers over a deformable bed. It is inferred that ice flow velocity decreased as a result of recession from the sea coast, resulting in a significant decrease in the length of ice cliffs and decrease in calving rate. Image acquisition during the fixed-wing UAV BVLOS operation proved to be a very robust technique in harsh polar conditions of King George Island.
Highlights
The aim of this study is to fill this gap by determining the area and spatial distribution of glacial landforms sensu lato developed on main glacial forelands in the area, namely Ecology Glacier foreland (EGF), Sphinx Glacier foreland (SGF) and Baranowski Glacier foreland (BGF) (Figure 2)
It is frequently difficult to determine the lateral boundary of glacier forelands, especially in case of adjacent glacier tongues or lobes
The frames for SGF and BGF are slightly overlapping in order to show immediate surroundings of both forelands, but we calculated the statistics provided below (Figure 5) taking into account the crest of a medial moraine ridge
Summary
Retreat of the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet, observed since the mid-20th century, is attributed to atmospheric warming of approximately 2–3 ◦ C [1,2]. Changes in the glacial system affect the nearby land ecosystems in many ways. Deglaciated landscapes undergo rapid geomorphic as well as biologic changes [5,9,10]. High sediment loads originating from paraglacial erosion of recently exposed landforms are quickly delivered to the coastal zone [9,11,12,13]. Antarctic Specially Protected Area No 128 (ASPA 128), located on the west coast of Admiralty
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