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Home , Halley Bay, Iceport, Vanderford Glacier

Atlas of Ute Christina Herzfeld

Atlas of Antarctica

Topographic Maps from Geostatistical Analysis of Satellite Radar Altimeter Data

With 169 Figures

123 Professor Dr. Ute Christina Herzfeld Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences National Snow and Ice Data Center University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, ca 80309-0449 USA

Geomathematics University ofTrier 54286 Trier Germany email: [email protected]

Additional material to this book can be downloaded from http://extras.springer.com . ISBN 978- 3- 642- 6241 8- 6 ISBN 978- 3- 642- 18515- 1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978- 3- 642- 18515- 1

Images an the frontcaver:Sea ice and ice shelf with German Research Vessel Polarstern in Atka Bay, ; Iceberg offshore of New Schwabenland; Images an the back cover: Penguin Colony; Ice edge and sea ice in the polynia in Halley Bay, Antarctica; Author at Jakobshavn Isbrae, West Greenland.

Library of Congress Control Number: 20041 07463

This work is subject to copyright.AII rights are reserved, whether the whole or part ofthe material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitations, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law.

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 2004

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Cover design: Erich Kirchner, Heidelberg Production: Luisa Tonarelli Typesetting and layout: Ute C. Herzfeld

Printedonacidfreepaper 30/3141/LT -543210 The Antarctic Atlas is dedicated to Helmut, Almut and Matthias Urs Preface

Although it is generally understood that the askedofmetogetdownsouthtotheAntarctic.As Antarctic plays a critical role in the it turned out, I got to work on least-squares pre- changing global system, there is to date still a lack diction and collocation, a method used in geodesy of generally available information on the subject. for interpolation, which led me into a new field of Climatic change and the role of the polar areas are science — geostatistics — which would become the often discussed in the media. Much of our knowl- centerpiece of my mathematical research; but the edge depends on models, and basic things such as expedition did not lead me to Antarctica, ending maps are missing. The generally used geophysi- in South America after crossing the Atlantic. In cal atlas of Antarctica is still the one published 1987/88 I “finally” set foot on the icy continent, 1 by Drewry twenty years ago, with literally huge during a 3 2 month expedition to Antarctica, also “white areas” on the maps (Drewry, D.J. (editor), with the POLARSTERN and the Alfred-Wegener- 1983, Antarctic Glaciological and Geophysical Fo- Institute for Polar Research (Bremerhaven, Ger- lio, Cambridge, Scott Polar Research Institute). many), to the Weddell Sea sector of Antarctica. In While there are maps of specific areas of Antarc- those days, expeditions were planned and staffed tica available (usually where field research is un- in a way that helping hands were always needed, dertaken), there is not one comprehensive work. scientists helped to establish stations, transport loads and clean up fuel barrels; marine biologists Antarctica is a remote continent. — Despite about needed help in counting species in huge piles of 200 years of Antarctic exploration, many places in biomass dumped on the deck; geophysicists needed the Antarctic have not been visited by mankind, help for around-the-clock watch at instruments; because Antarctica is hard to reach from inhab- trace-chemical stations needed to be established ited places, a foreboding place to travel because of far away from the main stations, and glaciologic glaciated terrain and harsh climate, and the fact data needed to be processed. This provided a great that the continent is surrounded by a frozen ocean way to learn about many aspects of the Antarc- for a large part of the year. Information on the tic environment as well as a fun way to interact remote continent is available today from satellite and collaborate. Quickly I noticed that who vol- data. unteered first got to set up remote sampling loca- Antarctica is a frozen continent. — It contains over tions, approached by helicopter or snowcat tracks, 90% of the Earth’s ice mass, and most of its area while who volunteered last may end up pumping is covered by ice. Arctic diesel ... Whatever the tasks, the Antarctic holds a grip on almost anyone who has ever vis- Antarctica is a fascinating continent. — The same ited it. Expeditions to places without the ICE are geographic properties that make Antarctica diffi- just not the same, as I came to discover in later cult to visit draw our imagination to this wild and seagoing expeditions. different place. In 1984, I interrupted my disser- tation project in mathematics for the chance to Our society’s knowledge on Antarctica is still far participate in an Antarctic expedition, with the less than knowledge about any other continent, de- German Research Vessel POLARSTERN, willing spite decades of exploration of Earth from space to work on more or less anything that would be and publications in scientific journals. A school VIII teacher who does not know what distinguishes Atlas maps provide elevation which is geophys- Antarctica from the Arctic is not an exception. ically useful and accurate information. As such Books on Antarctica that are available to a gen- the Atlas maps are the highest-resolution eleva- eral readership are commonly coffee-table picture tion maps available today, derived from satellite books, compiled by photographers on voyages to radar altimeter data by application of a geostatis- the Antarctic, often with a focus on wildlife. In tical method, which was specifically designed by contrast, the Atlas is focused on snow and ice the author for the problem of ice-sheet mapping. research, relationship of ice and climate, geog- Part II (chapter (D)) forms the center piece of the raphy, cartography and geodesy, geomathematics Atlas. and satellite geophysics — on revealing the sev- enth continent from space. As such, the Atlas of In part I “Motivation and Methods”, introductory Antarctica will fill an information gap. chapters concern the following topics: (A) The Antarctic Ice Sheet and its role in the Global Sys- Today’s educators want to teach children excit- tem, (B) Satellite Remote Sensing, and (C) Data ing facts about remote places, and tourism in- analysis methods applied in the Antarctic Atlas creases in an adventure and exploration compo- production and map construction. These sections nent. Together with this there is a growing inter- may serve as introductions to the realm of ice and est in Antarctica, and, often related to the cost climate, Antarctic geography, to satellite observa- of travel to remote places, the knowledge-desiring tions of the cryosphere, principles of satellite radar public has a high level of education. An increas- altimeter observations and data processing, and ing public interest in Global Change and Climate- geostatistical estimation or interpolation applied related questions also creates a need for books that in cartography. convey facts at a level that lies between that of picture books and science treatises. Applications presented in part III include mon- itoring changes in Antarctic , ice streams The Atlas of Antarctica is written with state-of- and ice shelves (chapter (E)) and detailed regional the-art scientific accuracy, so that it is hoped that studies of outlet glaciers of the inland ice that it may be useful for students and researchers of are particularly exciting (chapter (F)). Combina- , geophysics, remote sensing, cartogra- tion and integration of digital elevation models phy and Antarctic research, and at the same time from radar altimeter data and Synthetic Aperture introduce to the complex of questions and facts Radar (SAR) data, which show surface structures outlined above in a way that is informative and and flow features of glaciers and ice streams, is fun for the general reader interested in Antarctica. given as an example of employing data from two sources in glaciologic research (chapter (G)). The Information about the frozen continent, Antarc- Atlas contains a total of 145 maps, 25 figures, in- tica, is not only accessible by expeditions, without dex maps and diagrams, 5 tables, and furthermore the availability of satellite data, there would still references on related subjects in glaciology, geo- be large “white areas” on the map. mathematics, remote sensing and geodesy (chap- The “Atlas of Antarctica” utilizes satellite data ter (H)), a glaciologic glossary, an index of the — more precisely, radar altimeter data from Antarctic place names shown, and a list of Antarc- SEASAT, GEOSAT, ERS-1 and ERS-2. Other tic expeditions (chapter (I)). than the better known satellite images, altimeter The Atlas is for educators, glaciologists, re- measurements provide information on elevation searchers, students, tourists, anyone interested and, as such, may be the basis of topographic in Antarctica. It is my hope that the reader may maps. The Atlas of Antarctica covers the entire share some of my enthusiasm for Antarctica and Antarctic continent in a collection of accurate to- enjoy “discovering” some of its many fascinating pographic maps, each with 3 km by 3 km grid geographic and glaciologic features. resolution, surface elevation in grey shades and contours, and place names of glaciers, ice streams, Boulder, Colorado, Christmas 2003 and ice shelves, as well as of other major geo- graphic features. Other than satellite images, the Ute Christina Herzfeld Acknowledgements

Many people have helped throughout the course Matassa has been instrumental in helping estab- of the Antarctic Atlas project. Shortcomings are, lish the “map team” at Geomathe-Uni Trier, while of course, the author’s, and comments are appre- Ralf Stosius has dedicated a lot of energy to the ciated. The Atlas is not intended to be a com- Atlas Book project in recent years helping me train prehensive treatment of Antarctica and Antarctic younger map-team members, keeping lists of files science — there are too many disciplines and too and maps and, at times, corresponding with the many publications, but to fill a gap in knowledge. publisher. Matthias Mimler assisted in program- ming the TRANSVIEW software. The original idea to apply geostatistics to satellite radar altimetry was suggested to me at a glaciol- Much of my time as a Visiting Fellow at the Co- ogy meeting in Seattle in 1988 by colleagues at operative Institute for Research in Environmen- NASA. Over the years, the Atlas project took on tal Sciences (CIRES) and the National Snow and its own dynamics and was continued with data Ice Data Center (NSIDC)/World Data Center A from ERS-1 and various groups of students at the for Glaciology has been devoted to the Atlas Book Universities of California San Diego (UCSD), Col- project. I wish to thank CIRES for the Fellowship, orado (CU) Boulder, and Trier, Germany. Funding and CIRES and especially NSIDC for their hospi- was provided by NASA Office of Polar Programs tality. I am indebted to Dr. Konrad Steffen (Acting grants NAGW-3790 and NAG5-6114. Dr. Robert Director, CIRES) and Dr. Roger Barry (Director, Thomas, at the time program manager at NASA’s NSIDC) for their support and understanding. Office of Polar Programs, asked whether it would be possible to make maps of all of Antarctica. Thanks are also due to Dr. Robert L. Parker Data were provided by Dr. H. Jay Zwally and co- (Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, workers Dr. John DiMarzio and Dr. Anita Brenner UCSD) for the contouring and coloring programs at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Craig CONTOUR and COLOR used in the Atlas maps Lingle and Li-her Lee (University of Alaska Fair- and the plot program PLOTXY, to Dr. Bruce banks) collaborated on Lambert studies. Fast (Department of Applied Mathematics, CU All this help and support is gratefully acknowl- Boulder) for help with integration of postscript edged. and LaTeX, to Allyn McAuley and Melanie Percy for help with typesetting with support provided Many thanks are due to my undergraduate and by K. Steffen, to Bruce Raup, Peter Gibbons, graduate students who helped with various parts Matthew Applegate, Daryl Kohlerschmidt and of the Antarctic Mapping project, including cod- Jennifer Gerull for help with figure production, ing, data processing, map production and label- and last not least to Scott Williams (all CIRES / ing of geographic features: to Michael Matassa and NSIDC, CU Boulder) for help with LaTeX script- Chris Higginson at CU Boulder; to Michael Lam- ing. bert and Cecily Freeman at UCSD; to members of the “map team” at the Universit¨at Trier, Michael My thanks go to the publishing editor Dr. Chris- Matassa, Ralf Stosius, Marcus Schneider, Marion tian Witschel and collaborators in his team at Stellmes and Birgit Kausch. Of those, Michael Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg. X

Special thanks are due to Dr. Helmut Mayer, with- started writing, had it not been for Matthias Urs, out whose help the Atlas would have been impos- my little son, who stepped into the world and re- sible, for his extensive knowledge of the literature, quired me to stay home more than usual. So, when for helping me with the real work the book created, he fell asleep in his crib in my home office, I started and for many times putting other tasks behind the writing. Atlas. I also wish to thank my daughter Almut for all the understanding of a five-year old. After all — should I admit that I may have never actually Ute Christina Herzfeld Contents

(I) Motivation and Methods

(A) The Antarctic Ice Sheet and its Role in the Global System ...... 3 (A.1)MainGeographicandGlaciologicProvincesofAntarctica...... 3 (A.2)ClimaticChange,Sea-LevelRise,andChangesintheCryosphere ...... 5 (A.3)ModelingVersusMeasuring ...... 7

(B) Satellite Remote Sensing ...... 9 (B.1) An Overview of Ice Sheet Observations by Satellite ...... 9 (B.2) Satellite Radar Altimetry ...... 14 (B.2.1) Satellite Missions with Radar Altimeter Observations ...... 14 (B.2.1.1)SEASAT...... 14 (B.2.1.2)GEOSAT...... 16 (B.2.1.3)ERS-1andERS-2...... 17 (B.2.1.4) Other Missions with Altimeters, and Related Missions ...... 17 (B.2.2) Mission Types: Exact Repeat Missions and Geodetic Missions ...... 18 (B.2.3)RadarMeasurementPrinciples...... 19 (B.3) Analysis of Satellite Radar Altimeter Data over Ice Sheets and Glaciers ...... 25 (B.3.1) Problems and Methods of Mapping Ice Surface Elevation ...... 25 (B.3.2)DerivationofIceSurfaceRoughnessandMorphology...... 26

(C) Data Analysis Methods Applied in the Antarctic Atlas ...... 29 (C.0)Introduction...... 29 (C.1)CorrectionsofRadarAltimeterData ...... 30 (C.1.1) Corrections Applied to Satellite Radar Altimeter Data for Ice Surface Mapping...... 30 (C.1.2)TheBad-TrackProblem...... 33 (C.1.3)TheNeedforInterpolationofGeophysicalLineSurveyData...... 34 (C.2)MapProjectionandAtlasMapping ...... 34 (C.2.1)TheUTMProjection...... 35 (C.2.2)TheAtlasMappingProblem...... 35 (C.2.3)TheSolution:TheAntarcticAtlasMappingScheme...... 36 (C.2.4)MapSheetCalculationwithTRANSVIEW...... 40 (C.3)GeostatisticalEstimation ...... 44 XII

(C.3.1) Concept of the Regionalized Variable and Principles of Variography...... 45 (C.3.2)Kriging...... 51 (C.3.3) Variography for Satellite Radar Altimeter Data over Antarctic Ice Surfaces...... 53 (C.3.4) Application: Search Algorithm and Kriging Parameters for Antarctic AtlasDTMs.MappingParameters...... 56 (C.3.4.1) Search Routine for Geophysical Line Survey Data and Software . . . . 56 (C.3.4.2)GridSpacing...... 57 (C.3.4.3) Mapping Parameters: Contouring and Coloring Scheme ...... 57 (C.3.5)ErrorAnalysis...... 58 (C.3.6) Influence of the Radar Altimeter Sensor Compared to Influence of the Variogram in Kriging for GEOSAT and ERS-1 Data ...... 60 (C.4)TheRoleoftheGeodeticReferenceSurface ...... 64 (C.4.1) Ellipsoid and Geoid Concepts ...... 64 (C.4.2)MappingofIceSurfaceswithReferencetoGeoidModels...... 67

(II) The Atlas

(D) Atlas Maps ...... 73 (D.0) Map Organization and Description Principles ...... 73 (D.1) Latitude Row 63-68◦ S: Maps from GEOSAT and ERS-1 Radar Altimeter Data . . . . . 78 Mapm45e37-53n63-68CaseyBay ...... 78 Mapm57e49-65n63-68NapierMountains...... 82 Map m69e61-77n63-68 Mawson Coast East ...... 86 Mapm81e73-89n63-68LeopoldandAstridCoast...... 88 Map m93e85-101n63-68 Queen Mary Coast ...... 92 Map m105e97-113n63-68 Knox Coast ...... 96 Map m117e109-125n63-68 Sabrina Coast ...... 100 Map m129e121-137n63-68 Clarie Coast ...... 104 Map m141e133-149n63-68 Ad´elieCoast...... 108 Map m153e145-161n63-68 Tongue ...... 112 Map m297e289-305n63-68 (Graham Land) ...... 114 (D.2) Latitude Row 67-72.1◦ S: Maps from GEOSAT and ERS-1 Radar Altimeter Data. . . . 118 Map m15we23W-7Wn67-721 Ekstr¨omIceShelf...... 118 Mapm3we11w-5n67-721 FimbulIceShelf...... 120 Map m9e1-17n67-721 Princess Astrid Coast ...... 124 Mapm21e13-29n67-721 ErskineIceport...... 126 Mapm33e25-41n67-721 Riiser-LarsenPeninsula ...... 130 Map m45e37-53n67-721 Prince Olav Coast ...... 134 Mapm57e49-65n67-721 KempCoast...... 138 Mapm69e61-77n67-721 LambertGlacier...... 140 Map m81e73-89n67-721 Ingrid Christensen Coast ...... 146 Map m93e85-101n67-721 (e85-101n67-721)...... 148 Map m105e97-113n67-721 Wilkes Land (e97-113n67-721)...... 150 Map m117e109-125n67-721 Wilkes Land (e109-125n67-721) ...... 152 XIII

Map m129e121-137n67-721 Wilkes Land (e121-137n67-721) ...... 154 Map m141e133-149n67-721 Wilkes Land (e133-149n67-721) ...... 156 Map m153e145-161n67-721 Cook Ice Shelf ...... 160 Map m165e157-173n67-721 Pennell Coast ...... 164 Map m292e284-300n67-721 Antarctic Peninsula (Palmer Land) ...... 168 (D.3) Latitude Row 71-77◦ S:MapsfromERS-1RadarAltimeterData...... 172 Map m333e315-351n71-77 Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf ...... 172 Map m357e339-15n71-77 New Schwabenland ...... 175 Mapm21e3-39n71-77 SørRondaneMountains...... 178 Mapm45e27-63n71-77 BelgicaMountains...... 180 Mapm69e51-87n71-77 UpperLambertGlacier...... 182 Map m93e75-111n71-77 American Highland ...... 184 Map m117e99-135n71-77 Dome Charlie ...... 186 Map m141e123-159n71-77 Southern Wilkes Land (e123-159) ...... 188 Map m165e147-183n71-77 Victoria Land...... 190 Map m213e195-231n71-77 Ruppert Coast ...... 194 Map m237e219-255n71-77 Bakutis Coast ...... 196 Map m261e243-279n71-77 Walgreen Coast ...... 198 Map m285e267-303n71-77 ...... 201 Map m309e291-327n71-77 Black Coast ...... 204 (D.4) Latitude Row 75-80◦ S:MapsfromERS-1RadarAltimeterData...... 206 Map m333e315-351n75-80 Coats Land ...... 206 Map m357e339-15n75-80 Western (North) ...... 208 Mapm21e3-39n75-80 CentralQueenMaudLand(North)...... 209 Map m45e27-63n75-80 Valkyrie Dome ...... 210 Mapm69e51-87n75-80 SouthofLambertGlacier...... 211 Map m93e75-111n75-80 (Sovetskaya) ...... 213 Map m117e99-135n75-80 East Antarctica (Vostok) ...... 214 Map m141e123-159n75-80 East Antarctica (Mt. Longhurst) ...... 216 Map m165e147-183n75-80 Scott Coast ...... 218 Map m189e171-207n75-80 Roosevelt Island ...... 220 Map m213e195-231n75-80 Saunders Coast ...... 222 Map m237e219-255n75-80 Northern ...... 224 Map m261e243-279n75-80 Northern Hollick-Kenyon Plateau ...... 226 Map m285e267-303n75-80 Zumberge Coast ...... 228 Map m309e291-327n75-80 Ronne Ice Shelf ...... 232 (D.5) Latitude Row 78-81.5◦ S:MapsfromERS-1RadarAltimeterData ...... 234 Map m333e315-351n78-815 Filchner Ice Shelf ...... 234 Map m357e339-15n78-815 Western Queen Maud Land (South)...... 237 Map m21e3-39n78-815 Central Queen Maud Land (South) ...... 238 Map m45e27-63n78-815 Eastern Queen Maud Land (South) ...... 239 Mapm69e51-87n78-815 DomeArgus...... 240 Map m93e75-111n78-815 East Antarctica (e75-111n78-815) ...... 241 Map m117e99-135n78-815 East Antarctica (e99-135n78-815) ...... 242 Map m141e123-159n78-815 ...... 243 XIV

Map m165e147-183n78-815 Hillary Coast ...... 244 Map m189e171-207n78-815 Ross Ice Shelf ...... 246 Map m213e195-231n78-815 Shirase Coast ...... 248 Map m237e219-255n78-815 Southern Marie Byrd Land ...... 250 Map m261e243-279n78-815 Southern Hollick-Kenyon Plateau ...... 251 Map m285e267-303n78-815 Ellsworth Mountains ...... 252 Map m309e291-327n78-815 ...... 254

(III) Applications

(E) Monitoring Changes in Antarctic Ice Surface Topography: The Example of the /Amery Ice Shelf System ...... 259 (E.1)TheProblemofMonitoringChanges...... 259 (E.2)TimeSeriesofDigitalTerrainModelsandMaps ...... 261 (E.3)AltimeterData:AcquisitionandCorrections...... 262 (E.4)VisualComparison—QuantitativeComparison...... 274 (E.5)CalculationofElevationChanges...... 275 (E.6)DiscussionofResultsonElevationChanges...... 281 (E.6.1)ResultsoftheMonitoringStudy...... 281 (E.6.2) Comparison with Other Maps of Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf ...... 283 (E.7) On the Potential Existence of Glaciers in the Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice ShelfSystem...... 286 (E.7.1) Introduction to the Surge Phenomenon and Relationship to Results oftheMonitoringStudy...... 286 (E.7.2) Discussion of the Surge Hypothesis in the Glaciologic Literature ...... 286

(F) Detailed Studies of Selected Antarctic Outlet Glaciers and Ice Shelves ...... 289 (F.0)Introduction...... 289 (F.1) Detail Map 1: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 290 (F.2) Detail Map 2: Stancomb-Wills Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 294 (F.3) Detail Map 3: Jutulstraumen Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 296 (F.4) Detail Map 4: Shirase Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 300 (F.5) Detail Map 5: Lambert Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 302 (F.6) Detail Map 6: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 308 (F.7) Detail Map 7: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 310 (F.8) Detail Map 8: Vanderford Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 312 (F.9) Detail Map 9: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 314 (F.10) Detail Maps 10: , 11: Ninnis Glacier, and 12: Mertz and Ninnis Glaciers (GEOSAT Data 1985-86) ...... 316 (F.11) Detail Map 13: Rennick Glacier (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 322 (F.12) Detail Map 14: /Drygalski (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 326 (F.13) Detail Map 15: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 328 (F.14) Detail Map 16: (ERS-1 Data 1995) ...... 330 XV

(G) Combination of SAR and Radar Altimeter Data: Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf ...... 333

(IV) References and Appendix

(H) References ...... 343

(I) Appendix ...... 355 (I.1)GlaciologicalGlossary...... 355 (I.2)IndexofPlaceNames ...... 360 (I.3)AntarcticExpeditions...... 363 (I.3.1) Early Seagoing Expeditions ...... 363 (I.3.2)ExpeditionstotheAntarcticContinent...... 364 (I.3.3) Antarctic Expeditions after the International Geophysical Year ...... 364