Multi-Temporal Investigation of the Boulder Clay Glacier and Northern Foothills (Victoria Land, Antarctica) by Integrated Surveying Techniques

Remote Sensing

Antonio Zanutta¹  Luca Vittuari¹  ValentinaAlena Girelli¹  Paolo Mazzanti²  Gianluca Bianchi-Fasani³  Massimo Frezzotti³  Michelina Serafini⁴  Stefano Urbini⁴  Achille Zirizzotti⁴  Alfredo Rocca⁵ 

[1] Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy;Department of Earth Sciences, University of Rome “Sapienza”, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;ENEA-National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 S. Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy;Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia–Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Rome, Italy;NHAZCA S.r.l., spinoff University of Rome “Sapienza”, Via Vittorio Bachelet n.12, 00185 Rome, Italy;

关键词: semi-permanent gravel runway;    GPR;    GPS;    photogrammetry;    SAR interferometry;    glacier dynamics;    deformation;    brine ponds;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs11121501

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The paper aims to detect the main changes that occurred in the area surrounding the Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) through analysis of multi-temporal remote sensing integrated by geophysical measurements. Specific attention was directed at realizing an integrated geomorphological study of the Boulder Clay Glacier, a partially debris-covered glacier belonging to the Northern Foothills (Victoria Land, Antarctica). This area was recently chosen as the location for the construction of a new semi-permanent gravel runway for MZS logistical airfreight operations. Photogrammetric analysis was performed by comparing three historical aerial photogrammetric surveys (carried out in 1956, 1985, and 1993) and Very High Resolution (VHR) GeoEye-1 satellite stereo-image coverage acquired in 2012. The comparison of geo-referenced orthophoto-mosaics allowed the main changes occurring in some particular areas along the coast nearby MZS to be established. Concerning the study of the Boulder Clay Glacier, it has to be considered that glaciers and moraines are not steady-state systems by definition. Several remote sensing and geophysical investigations were carried out with the main aim of determining the general assessment of this glacier: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR); Geodetic Global Positioning System (GPS) network; multi-temporal satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry. The analysis of Boulder Clay Glacier moraine pointed out a deformation of less than 74 mm y⁻¹ in a time span of 56 years, value that agrees with velocity and deformation data observed by GPS and InSAR methods. The presence of unexpected brine ponds at the ice/bedrock interface and the deformation pattern observed in the central part of the moraine has to be monitored and studied, especially under the long-term maintenance of the future runway.

【 授权许可】

Unknown