A 2011-12 airborne transient electromagnetic survey mapped subsurface resistivity in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Barne region. The project, funded by NSF award 1344349 and conducted by researchers using the SkyTEM system, aimed to characterize subsurface hydrology and potential microbial habitats. Data products from this survey were made accessible to the research community.
Use Cases
- Mapping subsurface resistivity to distinguish between glacier ice, bedrock, and permafrost using SkyTEM-derived measurements.
- Characterizing hydrologic connectivity and nutrient transport pathways in the McMurdo Dry Valleys based on resistivity contrasts.
- Identifying potential subsurface microbial habitats by locating conductive zones indicative of unfrozen sediments or brines.
- Modeling the hydrologic history of the region through analysis of deep resistivity structure to depths of about 300 meters.
Strengths
- Survey covers the extensive and inaccessible McMurdo Dry Valleys region.
- Data enables subsurface characterization to depths of about 300 meters.
- Project deliverables include processed data products for community use.
Limitations
- Specific row count, column details, and sample data are unavailable.
- Data collection occurred during a single austral season (2011-12), limiting temporal analysis.
- Geographic scope is focused solely on specific Antarctic sites, reducing broader applicability.
Provenance
- Source
- NSF award 1344349, processed and disseminated by AMD_USAPDC.
- Collection Method
- Airborne transient electromagnetic (SkyTEM) survey mounted on a helicopter.
- Time Range
- 2011-12 austral season.
- Freshness
- Data last updated in 2015; represents a static snapshot from the 2011-12 survey.
- Geography
- McMurdo Dry Valleys and Cape Barne on Ross Island, Antarctica.