Marine Plain ASPA: Geomorphology and Helicopter Landing Zone Mapping

Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 143 Marine Plain in East Antarctica contains the fragile Sørsdal Formation, which preserves a unique Pliocene fossil record. This dataset provides geological mapping and analysis to assess human impact risks, including recommended helicopter landing zones derived from a 1:2000 scale surficial geology map of the Vestfold Hills region. The work demonstrates how foundational geospatial data can support evidence-based management of protected areas in Antarctica.

Use Cases

• Identifying low-impact helicopter landing zones based on buffers around sensitive geological formations and lakes.
• Assessing risks from foot and helicopter traffic to vulnerable Pliocene fossil deposits and thermokarst features.
• Informing the revision of ASPA management plans with evidence from regional-scale geological mapping.
• Differentiating typical glacial sediments from the unique Sørsdal Formation within the protected area.

Strengths

• Mapping is based on a detailed 1:2000 scale surficial geology map of the 400 km² Vestfold Hills region.
• Analysis is directly cited to peer-reviewed scientific publications (McLennan et al. 2021, 2022).
• Recommendations are grounded in specific criteria: distance from the Sørsdal Formation, lakes, steep slopes, and past marine inundation limits.

Limitations

• Key technical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, file sizes, and specific data formats are listed as 'unknown' or 'None'.
• The dataset's primary content appears to be a report (PDF/HTML) rather than a structured, machine-readable geospatial dataset.
• License and author information are not provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, referencing work by McLennan S. M., Haiblen A. M., & Smith J.

Collection Method

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

Time Range

The study focuses on the Pliocene geological record and contemporary management, but the specific date range of data collection is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-30 according to the most recent platform entry.

Geography

Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 143 (Marine Plain, Mule Peninsula, Vestfold Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica).