2011-12 austral season data maps subsurface resistivity structure to depths of about 300 meters in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Barne region. The dataset was collected via a helicopter-mounted SkyTEM system by researchers funded by NSF award 1344348 and made accessible by 2015. It distinguishes between resistive materials like glacier ice and bedrock and conductive materials like unfrozen sediments.
Use Cases
- Map permafrost extent and brine content using resistivity measurements distinguishing conductive from resistive materials.
- Model subsurface hydrologic connectivity and nutrient transport pathways using the 3D resistivity structure.
- Characterize potential microbial habitats by identifying zones of unfrozen sediment within the surveyed 300-meter depth range.
- Compare resistivity profiles of glacier ice, bedrock, and sediments to infer the region's hydrologic history.
Strengths
- Covers a broad, inaccessible terrain using an airborne method enabling large-scale survey.
- Provides subsurface data to depths of about 300 meters, relevant for deep habitat studies.
- Data products were specifically derived for investigating physical and chemical conditions in microbial habitats.
Limitations
- Data is from a single survey season (2011-12), offering only a snapshot in time.
- Specific row count, column details, and sample data are unavailable, limiting reproducibility.
- Geographic coverage is limited to the McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Barne on Ross Island.
Provenance
- Source
- NSF award 1344348, processed and disseminated by AMD_USAPDC.
- Collection Method
- Airborne transient electromagnetic (SkyTEM) survey mounted on a helicopter.
- Time Range
- 2011-12 austral season.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Barne on Ross Island, Antarctica.