Antarctic Coastline Vector Data From Landsat 7 Imagery

A digital vector dataset represents the coastline of the Australian Antarctic Territory between 45 and 160 degrees east. It was jointly developed by Geoscience Australia's National Mapping Division and the Australian Antarctic Division, with data superseding a 2001 version and validated in 2003. The dataset includes three coverages: ice features, coastal features, and island point features.

Use Cases

• Analyze the positional relationship between the permanent ice edge and the grounding line features across the territory.
• Map small island locations using the dedicated point feature coverage for landforms too small for polygon representation.
• Compare coastal change by using this dataset as a 2003 baseline against newer or older vector coastline data.
• Integrate regional topographic data from supplied sources like the Holme Bay 1:25,000 GIS dataset for localized studies.

Strengths

• Supersedes older data by using Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery for more reliable positional accuracy.
• Methodology validated using complementary remote sensing techniques including interferometry and airborne ice radar.
• Incorporates multiple large-scale vector datasets from specific Antarctic areas for regional detail.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is a single snapshot from 2003, limiting analysis of dynamic coastal processes.
• Spatial coverage is restricted to the Australian Antarctic Territory (45°E to 160°E), not the entire continent.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and data formats are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

National Mapping Division of Geoscience Australia and the Australian Antarctic Division (AU_AADC).

Collection Method

Derived via remote sensing interpretation of Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery, validated with interferometry and airborne ice radar.

Time Range

2003 (supersedes 2001 dataset).

Freshness

Data represents a 2003 snapshot; it is not a continuously updated series.

Geography

Coastline of the Australian Antarctic Territory, between 45 and 160 degrees east longitude.