Permafrost and Rock Glacier Dynamics in the Antarctic Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula region is the focus of this dataset from a joint Argentine, Japanese, and Italian research group. It contains measurements of permafrost thickness, rock glacier flow rates, and ground/air temperatures collected since 1990 using methods like block tracking and thermo-registration stations. Data includes permafrost development rates of 0.01 to 0.015 m/y on Seymour Island and 0.0018 to 0.0016 m/y on James Ross Island.

Use Cases

• Model permafrost thickness and development rates based on geo-electrical resistivity and 14C isotope dating data.
• Analyze rock glacier and protalus lobe flow regimes based on surface flow patterns from tracked blocks.
• Study ground thermal regimes based on mean annual temperature and geothermal gradient data from thermo-registering stations.
• Characterize stone-banked terrace morphology and movement based on slope, dimensions, and measured moving rates.

Strengths

• Long-term monitoring data collection since 1990.
• Includes specific quantitative measurements like permafrost development rates (0.0016 to 0.015 m/y) and stone-banked terrace moving rates (<5 cm/y).
• Data from multiple islands (James Ross and Seymour) and specific locations (e.g., Lachman II, Rink Crags).

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Joint research group 'Criologia' (Instituto Antarctico Argentino, Institute of Low Temperature Science, Third University of Rome).

Collection Method

Field measurements using marked block tracking, thermo-registering stations, and geo-electrical resistivity methods.

Time Range

Data collection began in 1990; specific end date is unknown.

Freshness

Data collection began in 1990; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Northern Antarctic Peninsula area, including James Ross Island and Seymour Island.