East Antarctic Seabed Glacial Geomorphology Features from 2024 Expedition

Preliminary bathymetric and geomorphic mapping results from the 2024 RV Polarstern PS141 expedition reveal submerged glacial features on the East Antarctic continental shelf. The dataset includes hydroacoustic data from more than 10,000 nautical miles surveyed in the Davis and Mawson Seas. Prepared by Geoscience Australia for the Australian Antarctic Research Conference in November 2024.

Use Cases

• Analyze iceberg scours and mega-scale glacial lineations to reconstruct past ice sheet dynamics.
• Map subglacial basins and grounding zone wedges to infer historical grounding line positions.
• Integrate bathymetric mapping results with oceanographic models to study ice-ocean interactions.
• Use hydroacoustic data profiles to identify seabed topography features influencing contemporary ice sheet stability.

Strengths

• Contains hydroacoustic data from more than 10,000 nautical miles of survey.
• Focuses on the vulnerable Aurora subglacial basin and Shackleton Ice Shelf region.
• Presents preliminary results for a targeted area between 85° E and 115° E longitude.

Limitations

• Data is presented in a PDF format, limiting direct computational analysis.
• Preliminary nature indicates interpretations may be refined in future detailed mapping.
• Sample data and structured column definitions are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Hydroacoustic data collection via multibeam and sub-bottom profiling from RV Polarstern expedition PS141.

Time Range

Expedition conducted from 6 February to 14 April 2024.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026, containing results from a 2024 expedition.

Geography

Davis and Mawson Seas, East Antarctic margin between Wilhelm II and Wilkes Land (85° E to 115° E).