The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review
Climate warming has become indisputable, and it is now crucial to increase our understanding of both the mechanisms and consequences of climate change. The Antarctic region is subjected to substantial changes, the trends of which have been recognized for several decades. In the South Shetland Island...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/12/2736 |
| _version_ | 1797482734695743488 |
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| author | Michał Dziembowski Robert Józef Bialik |
| author_facet | Michał Dziembowski Robert Józef Bialik |
| author_sort | Michał Dziembowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate warming has become indisputable, and it is now crucial to increase our understanding of both the mechanisms and consequences of climate change. The Antarctic region is subjected to substantial changes, the trends of which have been recognized for several decades. In the South Shetland Islands, the most visible effect of climate change is progressive deglaciation. The following review focuses on past glaciological studies conducted on King George Island (KGI). The results of collected cryosphere element observations are discussed herein in a comprehensive manner. Our analysis showed that there is a lack of temporal as well as spatial continuity for studies on the basic mass balance parameters on the entire KGI ice dome and only Bellingshausen Dome has a relatively long history of data collection. The methodologies of past work, which have improved over time, are also discussed. When studying the glacier front fluctuations, the authors most frequently use a 1956 aerial photography as reference ice coverage. This was the case for seven papers, while other sources are seldomly mentioned. In other papers as many as 41 other sources were used, and therefore comparison to photos taken up to 60 years later can give misleading trends, as small glaciers may have both advanced and retreated in that time. In the case of glacial velocities there is also an apparent lack of consistency, as different glaciers were indicated as the fastest on KGI. Only Lange, Anna, Crystal, Eldred, and eastern part of Usher glaciers were determined by more than one author as the fastest. Additionally, there are gaps in the KGI Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey area, which includes three ice domes: the Warszawa Icefield, the Krakow Icefield, and eastern part of King George Island. Ideas for further work on the topic are also suggested, allowing for easier access to data and thus contributing to a better understanding of glacier development mechanisms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:37:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62311631399941c3a02bb092e789cb26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:37:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-62311631399941c3a02bb092e789cb262023-11-23T18:45:58ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-06-011412273610.3390/rs14122736The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A ReviewMichał Dziembowski0Robert Józef Bialik1Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, PolandInstitute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, PolandClimate warming has become indisputable, and it is now crucial to increase our understanding of both the mechanisms and consequences of climate change. The Antarctic region is subjected to substantial changes, the trends of which have been recognized for several decades. In the South Shetland Islands, the most visible effect of climate change is progressive deglaciation. The following review focuses on past glaciological studies conducted on King George Island (KGI). The results of collected cryosphere element observations are discussed herein in a comprehensive manner. Our analysis showed that there is a lack of temporal as well as spatial continuity for studies on the basic mass balance parameters on the entire KGI ice dome and only Bellingshausen Dome has a relatively long history of data collection. The methodologies of past work, which have improved over time, are also discussed. When studying the glacier front fluctuations, the authors most frequently use a 1956 aerial photography as reference ice coverage. This was the case for seven papers, while other sources are seldomly mentioned. In other papers as many as 41 other sources were used, and therefore comparison to photos taken up to 60 years later can give misleading trends, as small glaciers may have both advanced and retreated in that time. In the case of glacial velocities there is also an apparent lack of consistency, as different glaciers were indicated as the fastest on KGI. Only Lange, Anna, Crystal, Eldred, and eastern part of Usher glaciers were determined by more than one author as the fastest. Additionally, there are gaps in the KGI Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey area, which includes three ice domes: the Warszawa Icefield, the Krakow Icefield, and eastern part of King George Island. Ideas for further work on the topic are also suggested, allowing for easier access to data and thus contributing to a better understanding of glacier development mechanisms.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/12/2736glaciericefieldsnowcryospheremass balancemodelling |
| spellingShingle | Michał Dziembowski Robert Józef Bialik The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review Remote Sensing glacier icefield snow cryosphere mass balance modelling |
| title | The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review |
| title_full | The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review |
| title_fullStr | The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review |
| title_short | The Remotely and Directly Obtained Results of Glaciological Studies on King George Island: A Review |
| title_sort | remotely and directly obtained results of glaciological studies on king george island a review |
| topic | glacier icefield snow cryosphere mass balance modelling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/12/2736 |
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