Geomorphological characterization of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers

Abstract

The present study aims to characterize the morphology of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers, using a key for classification developed in the context of the international project Global Land Ice Measurements from Space. At total, 1906 glacial drainage basins were identified between latitudes 61ºS and 73ºS, corresponding to an area of 342,696.56 km2. Each glacial basin was then identified according to its morphology. The primary classification of glaciers showed that 61% are outlet glaciers, spatially distributed throughout the whole Antarctic Peninsula. Considering the form, 54% were identified as simple basins, more common to the south of the region, and 30% of the ice masses are associated with basins composed by tributaries, distributed mainly to the north of the study area. Regarding the frontal activity, 30% of the glaciers were classified as calving glaciers, 23% as calving and piemonte, calving and expansion, and lobe and calving, and 17% have small floating fronts, found mainly in the north and central part of the west and 17% are ice shelf nourishing in the south and eastern part of the central peninsula. As for the longitudinal characteristics, 50% of the basins are cascading and 38% are uniform or regular, distributed throughout the region. In addition, 56% of the glaciers have lateral moraine, distributed along the Antarctic Peninsula and 30% of the glaciers do not have moraine.