Seabed glacial geomorphology features on the East Antarctic continental shelf: first resul

Preliminary results from the RV Polarstern expedition PS141 (EASI-3) conducted from 6 February to 14 April 2024. The dataset contains hydroacoustic mapping of submerged glacial features on the East Antarctic continental shelf, prepared for the Australian Antarctic Research Conference in November 2024. It reveals iceberg scours, mega-scale glacial lineations, subglacial basins, and grounding zone wedges.

Use Cases

• Reconstruct past glacier and ice sheet changes based on mapped seabed glacial features.
• Inform contemporary models of ice sheet instability based on the interplay between oceanic processes and seabed topography.
• Extend the record of past ice sheet fluctuations in East Antarctica based on geomorphic mapping results.
• Study the impact of seabed topography on ocean circulation based on the described continental shelf features.

Strengths

• More than 10,000 nautical miles of new hydroacoustic data were collected.
• Covers a target area between 85° E and 115° E off the East Antarctic margin.
• Reveals a variety of specific submerged glacial features, including iceberg scours and grounding zone wedges.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Hydroacoustic data collection (continuous multibeam and sub-bottom profiles) from RV Polarstern expedition.

Time Range

Data collected from 6 February to 14 April 2024.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 04:05:42.664568; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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