Landscape Mapping for Antarctic Specially Protected Area 143 Management

Geological mapping and aerial imagery results for Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 143 Marine Plain, presented at the SCAR Open Science Conference 2024. The dataset likely contains geospatial polygons and landform classifications derived from 1:2000 scale mapping of the 400 km² Vestfold Hills region to assess human impact risks. It was produced by researchers citing Geoscience Australia sources and is hosted on the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Assessing risks from foot and helicopter traffic to fragile geological formations based on the mapped Sørsdal Formation buffer.
• Planning helicopter landing zones based on polygons derived from distance to lakes, steep slopes, and historical marine limits.
• Monitoring the condition of Pliocene fossil records and thermokarst features using the provided surficial geology maps.
• Informing Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) management plans with evidence from regional-scale landform mapping.

Strengths

• Mapping conducted at a detailed 1:2000 scale for the Vestfold Hills region.
• Analysis is grounded in specific geological formations like the Sørsdal Formation and references peer-reviewed stratigraphy.
• Provides concrete management outputs, including polygons for recommended helicopter landing areas.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in PDF and HTML formats, which may require extraction for geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, referencing work by McLennan et al. and Quilty et al.

Collection Method

Geological mapping using aerial photos, satellite imagery, a digital elevation model, and field observations.

Time Range

Focuses on Pliocene geological features; contemporary data collection dates are not specified.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 15:01:21.446000; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 143 (Marine Plain, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica).