Antarctica Road Surface and Passability Data from PlanetScope Imagery

HeiGIT produced this geospatial dataset covering approximately 1,000 km of arterial roads in Antarctica using PlanetScope satellite imagery from 2020 and 2024. It provides AI-derived classifications for road surface, width, and a Humanitarian Passability Index (HPI) for segments originally mapped in OpenStreetMap.

Use Cases

• Logistics planning using the Humanitarian Passability Index (HPI) to identify high-risk transport routes
• Infrastructure monitoring by analyzing the Road Surface Change column to detect transitions from unpaved to paved surfaces
• Vehicle suitability assessment based on the Road Width Class to determine if segments support heavy trucks

Strengths

• 89.2% accuracy for AI-derived surface predictions
• Multi-temporal coverage allowing for 2020-2024 change detection
• Standardized width classes for heavy vehicle logistics

Limitations

• Extremely low road density reflecting the unique Antarctic environment
• Restricted to arterial road classifications only
• AI-derived predictions may be influenced by extreme polar lighting or snow cover

Provenance

Source

HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology)

Collection Method

AI-derived predictions from PlanetScope satellite imagery integrated with OpenStreetMap road geometries.

Time Range

2020-2024

Freshness

Last updated March 2026; utilizes imagery from 2020 and 2024.

Geography

Antarctica