scholarly journals Terrestrial Signature of a Recently-Tidewater Glacier and Adjacent Periglaciation, Windy Glacier (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kacper Kreczmer ◽  
Maciej Dąbski ◽  
Anna Zmarz
Keyword(s):  
Mass Movement ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Patterned Ground ◽  
Glacial Ice ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Geomorphological Map ◽  
South Shetlands

Contemporary retreat of glaciers is well visible in the West Antarctic region. The aim of this study is to identify, map and quantify terrestrial glacial and periglacial landforms developed in front of Windy Glacier (Warszawa Icefield, King George Island, South Shetlands), which recently turned from being tidewater to land-terminating, and on near-by Red Hill. The study is based on an orthophoto map and a DEM elaborated with a use of images obtained during a UAV BVLOS photogrammetric survey in 2016, Google Earth Pro images from 2006 and an orthophoto map from 1978/1979. The geomorphological map obtained includes 31 types of landforms and water bodies, grouped into: (1) glacial depositional landforms, (2) fluvial and fluvioglacial landforms, (3) littoral and lacustrine landforms, (4) solifluction landforms, (5) other mass movement landforms, (6) patterned ground, (7) debris flows, landslides and mudflows, (8) water bodies, (9) other (bedrock, boulders, glacial ice, snow patches, and not recognized surface). Most area is occupied by glacial lagoon, fluvial and fluvioglacial landforms, not recognized surfaces and littoral landforms. Between 2006 and 2016 the glacier deposited a well-developed patch of fluted moraine with small drumlins. We recognize the glacial-periglacial transition zone between 41 and 47 m GPS height above which solifluction landforms and sorted patterned ground dominate. Advantages of UAV and BVLOS missions are highlighted and problems with vectorization of landforms are discussed. Distinction between flutes and small drumlins is shown on length-to-elongation and length-to-width diagrams and critical reference to previous geomorphological mappings on King George Island is presented.

Pygoscelis penguin diets on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, with a special focus on the krill Euphausia superba

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Panasiuk ◽  
Justyna Wawrzynek-Borejko ◽  
Aleksandra Musiał ◽  
Małgorzata Korczak-Abshire
Keyword(s):  
Euphausia Superba ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Pygoscelis Adeliae ◽  
Human Pressure ◽  
Shetland Islands ◽  
Pygoscelis Antarcticus ◽  
South Shetlands ◽  
The Antarctic

AbstractIn the krill-based ecosystem of the Antarctic, fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of Euphausia superba may have strong impacts on predator populations; thus, it is crucial to observe the feeding ecology of Antarctic predators, especially in the light of climate change and increasing human pressure. We determined the composition of euphausiid species in diet samples collected from Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins on King George Island (South Shetlands Islands) during a breeding season. For all three penguin species, euphausiids (mainly E. superba) represented almost the entirety of researched stomach samples (i.e. 99.9% in the case of Adélie and chinstrap penguins), while gentoo penguins also proved to feed on fish (99.4% krill; 0.5% fish). Analysed material differed in the size of eaten E. superba specimens, with the smallest crustaceans consumed by Adélie penguins. Furthermore, we found differences in the ratio of consumed krill and krill size. Such disparities may be a result of sex-based differences and slight differences in feeding areas between the birds. Additionally, we noted some fragments of plastic debris in the investigated penguin diet samples.

scholarly journals Morphology, ultrastructure and ecology of Muriella decolor (Chlorophyta) from subaerial habitats in Poland and the Antarctic

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-174
Author(s):  
Joanna Czerwik-Marcinkowska ◽  
Andrzej Massalski ◽  
Maria Olech ◽  
Anna Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Life Strategies ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Shetland Islands ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Complete Life Cycle ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract This paper offers a comparison of Muriella decolor specimens from different geographical regions and habitats (limestone caves in Poland and ice denuded areas near the Ecology Glacier, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctic). Morphological and cytological variability, ecology and life strategies of M. decolor were studied in fresh samples, and also in cultures grown on agar plates. The complete life cycle, with detailed ultrastructural (LM and TEM) analysis are presented. The electron microscopic observations prove that materials identified as M. decolor collected in Poland and the Antarctic have distinct ultrastructural features. These include the chloroplast lamella arrangement, mitochondrial cristae structure and the cell wall thickness.

The geology of King George Island, South Shetland Islands: uniting local geological maps and stratigraphical columns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Lopez ◽  
Joaquin Bastias ◽  
Daniela Matus ◽  
Ricardo Jaña ◽  
Marcelo Leppe
Keyword(s):  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
King George Island ◽  
The South ◽  
Moby Dick ◽  
Shetland Islands ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
The North ◽  
South Shetlands ◽  
Geological Map

<p>King George Island is the largest one of the South Shetland Islands group distributed parallel to and separated by the Bransfield Strait of the northern tip of Antarctic Peninsula. The archipelago of the South Shetlands is mainly composed of the products of the active margin developed as a result of the subduction of the Phoenix Plate beneath the continental crust of the Antarctic Peninsula (e.g. Barker, 1982; Bastias et al., 2019). The lithologies are largely dominated by Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic successions that are cut by a few hypabyssal plutons. While some authors have suggested a southwest to northeast trend along the archipelago from older to younger magmatic activity (e.g. Haase et al., 2012), others have indicated that some of the magmatic events may have been recorded along the entire archipelago (e.g. Valanginian arc rocks; Bastias et al., 2019). Regardless, King George Island hosts an exceptional stratigraphical record of the Cenozoic period. Moreover, this island is mostly covered by an ice cap at the present day, which is commonly terminated with ice cliffs around much of the island. The southern edge of the island host Mesozoic and Paleogene successions, these rocks are dominated by volcanic and volcaniclastic units. The rocks in King George Island are generally young to the east and to the north ends. Cape Melville, the southeast extreme of the island, hosts the youngest sedimentary rocks known on the island: the Moby Dick Group (Birkenmajer, 1985).</p><p>While several authors have presented local studies in the King George Island over the last three decades, an integrated assessment of the outcropping units in the entire island remains unexplored. A new geological map for King George Island will allow to update the current understanding of the stratigraphy of the South Shetland Islands, which will help to support not only the geological studies but also those focused on the environmental and paleontological record.</p><p>Barker, 1982. Journal of the Geological Society 19, 787-801. (DOI: 10.1144/gsjgs.139.6.0787)</p><p>Bastias et al. (2019). International Geology Review 62 (11), 1467-1484. (DOI: 10.1080/00206814.2019.1655669)</p><p>Birkenmajer (1985). Bulletin Polish Academic Earth Sciences 33:15-23.</p><p>Haase et al. (2012). Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 163, 1103-1119. (DOI: 10.1007/s00410-012-0719-7).</p>

scholarly journals Changes in bird communities of Admiralty Bay, King George Island (West Antarctic): insights from monitoring data (1977–1996)

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazimierz Sierakowski ◽  
Małgorzata Korczak-Abshire ◽  
Piotr Jadwiszczak
Keyword(s):  
Gentoo Penguin ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Admiralty Bay ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Western Shore ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
South Shetlands ◽  
Penguin Species

AbstractThe paper summarizes results of twenty years of seabird observations carried out between 1977 and 1996 on the western shore of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctic). Changes in population size, distribution and phenology of the breeding species as well as the appearance of non-breeding species are reported. A total of 34 species of birds were observed, including 13 breeding species. Among the non-breeding species, four were observed to visit the site regularly, six rarely, and the remaining 11 were observed only occasionally. Among breeding populations, three Pygoscelis penguin species, the main krill consumers, were most numerous. The Adélie Penguin (P. adeliae) dominated among the penguins nesting in the investigated areas, reaching 23,661 breeding pairs in 1978. Two other penguin species were less abundant with population sizes of approximately 7,200 breeding pairs for the Chinstrap Penguin (P. antarcticus) and 3,100 breeding pairs for the Gentoo Penguin (P. papua) in the same year. During the following two decades, breeding populations of pygoscelid species experienced a declining trend and their numbers were reduced by 68.0% for Chinstrap, 67.1% for Gentoo, and 33.9% for Adélie Penguins. The data reported here represent a unique reference basis and provide valuable information about indicator species, suitable for comparison with contemporary observations of bird populations in the Antarctic Peninsula region, a place of rapidly occurring climate changes and intensive harvesting of marine living resources.

Components of the energy balance of the ground surface and their effect on the thermics of the substrata of the vegetation oasis at Henryk Arctowski Station, King George Island, South Shetland Islands

Polar Record ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (196) ◽  
pp. 3-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Prosek ◽  
M. Janouch ◽  
K. Láska
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Radiation Balance ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Shetland Islands

AbstractThis article presents the results of measurements of the components of ground-surface energy balance (radiation balance, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and ground heat flux) taken during the 1994/95 summer season at Poland's Henryk Arctowski Station, King George Island, South Shetland Islands (62°09'42”S, 58°28'10”W). This was the first time that these complex measurements had been taken in the central part of the South Shetlands archipelago. The results are evaluated at the level of daily and seasonal fluctuations. The consequences of energy balance on the temperature conditions of the soil substrata are highlighted. The verification of the degree of influence of a subset of energy-balance components on soil temperature allowed analysis of the relationships among soil temperature, radiation balance, and sensible heat flux. This analysis leads to the conclusion that there is a rapid reaction of the soil temperature to the radiation balance and sensible heat flux to a depth of 5 cm. The boundary atmosphere and soil substrate represent the basic components of the ecotops of the Antarctic vegetation oasis, so these results are interpreted in pedological or botanical studies in the search for environmental influences on the vegetation.

A new Antarctic foraminiferal species for detecting climate change in sub-Recent glacier-proximal sediments

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Majewski ◽  
Andrzej Tatur
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Tidewater Glaciers ◽  
Admiralty Bay ◽  
Shetland Islands ◽  
Foraminiferal Species ◽  
Water Depths

AbstractCribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. is the only adequately described sub-Recent elphidiid foraminifer from Antarctica. In Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands), it is found at several locations within inner fiord setting at water depths between 33 and 165 m, but most commonly shallower than 100 m. In outer basins this foraminifer is absent. In the cores analysed, C. webbi sp. nov. is present in well-constrained sub-Recent horizons that are clearly related to climate warming and deglaciation. These horizons represent a diachronous facies marker rather than a single stratigraphic layer. Cribroelphidium webbi sp. nov. shows clear association with retreating tidewater glaciers, therefore it is an important sensitive glacier-proximal indicator. It appears that it shares similar ecologic affinities with Cribroelphidium excavatum clavatum, which is widely distributed throughout the Arctic.

Periphyton diversity in two different Antarctic lakes assessed using metabarcoding

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Paulo E.A.S. Câmara ◽  
Láuren M.D. De Souza ◽  
Otávio Henrique Bezerra Pinto ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
Eduardo T. Amorim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Shannon Index ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Deception Island ◽  
Maritime Antarctic ◽  
Shetland Islands ◽  
Antarctic Lakes ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Antarctic lakes have generally simple periphyton communities when compared with those of lower latitudes. To date, assessment of microbial diversity in Antarctica has relied heavily on traditional direct observation and cultivation methods. In this study, sterilized cotton baits were left submerged for two years in two lakes on King George Island and Deception Island, South Shetland Islands (Maritime Antarctic), followed by assessment of diversity by metabarcoding using high-throughput sequencing. DNA sequences of 44 taxa belonging to four kingdoms and seven phyla were found. Thirty-six taxa were detected in Hennequin Lake on King George Island and 20 taxa were detected in Soto Lake on Deception Island. However, no significant difference in species composition was detected between the two assemblages (Shannon index). Our data suggest that metabarcoding provides a suitable method for the assessment of periphyton biodiversity in oligotrophic Antarctic lakes.

scholarly journals Potential source regions of biogenic aerosol number concentration apportioning at King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre S. Alencar ◽  
Heitor Evangelista ◽  
Elaine A. Dos Santos ◽  
Sergio M. Correa ◽  
Myriam Khodri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Amundsen Sea ◽  
Atlantic Sector ◽  
Aerosol Number Concentration ◽  
Argentinean Shelf

AbstractNowadays it is well accepted that background aerosols in the boundary layer over remote oceans are of marine origin and not aged continental. Particularly in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean at least four main important regions exhibit significant ocean primary productivity. They are the Bellingshausen–Amundsen Sea, the Weddell Sea, the southern Argentinean shelf and the southern Chilean coast. In this work, we have combined ground-based continuous atmospheric sampling of aerosol number concentration (ANC), over-sea dimethyl sulphide (DMS) measurements, chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration provided by Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite images, in situ meteorological data and monthly regional NCEP-NCAR re-analysis wind fields in order to investigate the relative contribution of each of the above regions to the apportionment of the ANC at King George Island (KGI), South Shetland Islands. Our results suggest that, at least during the period from September 1998–December 1999, the southern Argentinean shelf acted as the main contributor to the ANC measured in KGI.

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