BAS contributes to dynamic mapping and geographic information of Antarctica — MercoPress
BAS contributing to dynamic mapping and geographic information of Antarctica
Topographic map of the recently collapsed Conger Ice Shelf contained in the latest edition of the ADD.
The latest data from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Antarctic Digital Database (ADD) will be included in a world-leading collection of geographic information. ADD is a compilation of the best available topographic data for Antarctica. It is managed by BAS’s Center for Mapping and Geographic Information (MAGIC) on behalf of the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research and is an essential tool for researchers navigating and understanding the ever-changing landscape of Antarctica.
This week, the ADD was made even more accessible with the inclusion of its coastline and contour datasets in the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. This globally recognized collection of geographic information contains data from a range of leading contributors and organizations and is accessible to over 10 million users worldwide. It is hoped that this collaboration between BAS and ArcGIS will help bring BAS’s unique knowledge of Antarctica to the wider research community and further international polar research efforts.
Antarctica is constantly changing with ice shelves steadily growing and calving, and retreating ice revealing hidden features below. The ADD is updated every six months to capture all of these changes and ensure reliable, up-to-date information is available to the scientific and logistics communities.
The main changes in the latest version of the ADD relate to the coastline and large areas of ice shelves, including updates:
• the entire coast of Dronning Maud Land
• Brunt Ice Shelf where BAS Halley Research Station is located
• other important areas such as the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf and the Conger Ice Shelf.
Other minor changes include the addition of some islands in the Rhyolite Islands group, in George VI Sound. These islands have always existed but have never been mapped before. With the ever-increasing amount of freely available satellite imagery, more of these uncharted locations can now be accurately mapped to facilitate scientific research and operational activities in Antarctica.
Laura Gerrish, Geographic Information Systems and Mapping Specialist with the BAS MAGIC team, said: “We are always proud to announce the latest ADD updates and help build a picture of this dynamic and changing part of the world. Unlike normal updates, this time we are also publishing datasets to ESRI Esri ArcGIS Living Atlas, which will increase their visibility and reach. It’s exciting to think about how this could advance our understanding of the polar regions.
ADD is accessible through the ADD Data Catalog and can now be used directly in ArcGIS desktop apps and through Esri ArcGIS Web Services.
The ADD is an international product and we welcome contributions from external organizations. The continent is a large area and it takes a team effort to keep the data up to date. If you have any data to provide, please contact us at [email protected]