Fluvioglacial Landforms and Human Impact in Larsemann Hills

1994 metadata record from ASAC Project 570 documents environmental changes in the Larsemann Hills, Eastern Antarctica, from 1986 onward. It outlines impacts from station development by China, the USSR, and Australia, including a road network and increased human visitation. The record was created by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC).

Use Cases

• Analyzing correlation between visitor count increases (71 in 1987 to 445 in 1991) and spatial extent of observed rubbish (10 square km).
• Mapping the development timeline of station infrastructure (since 1986) and associated road networks against geomorphological features.
• Studying the spatial distribution of human impact evidence relative to the locations of three international bases within a 3 km radius.

Strengths

• Provides specific temporal coverage from at least 1986 to 1991.
• Documents quantified human impact metrics: visitor numbers and affected area (10 sq km).
• Captures a unique period of sudden environmental change following station establishment.

Limitations

• Unknown row count and specific data columns limit analytical scope.
• Data is a metadata record from 1994, indicating potential staleness and lack of recent observations.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single location (Larsemann Hills, Eastern Antarctica).

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) for ASAC Project 570.

Collection Method

Observational data and analysis referenced in project abstracts and papers.

Time Range

From at least 1986 to 1991, with metadata from 1994.

Freshness

Last updated 1994-03-31; no update frequency indicated.

Geography

Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, Eastern Antarctica.