A GIS-BASED GLACIER INVENTORY FOR THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA AND THE SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS——A FIRST CASE STUDY ON KING GEORGE ISLAND

The aim of the international project “Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS)" headed by the US Geological Survey is to establish a world wide glacier inventory based on satellite imagery.This data set will form a first digital baseline study for future glacier monitoring.The presented GIS_based glacier inventory for King George Island is a case study for the area of the Antarctic Peninsula.In the database of the glacier inventory topographic information,specific glaciological parameters as well as metadata will be included.The topographic data consists of drainage basin limits,basin areas,altitudinal ranges,perimeters and mean lengths.Glaciological data sets should comprise information on glacier retreat in different periods,glacier velocities,ice thickness and bedrock topography as well as derived parameters.Modelled and measured mass balance parameters could be included as additional data layers.In particular,these metadata records must comprise background information on data accuracy and data sources and should be compatible with a future data model for the King George Island GIS (KGIS).Three examples illustrate that the GLIMS database will not only contain information valuable for glaciological applications,but also other environmental studies on the island will benefit from this standardised remote sensing data sets.Therefore,a very close link between the data models of KGIS and GLIMS has to be established to enable these synergisms.Finally,better access to historic aerial photography would enable a continuous record of glacier retreat from the beginning of the 1950’s onward.

KING GEORGE ISLAND SPATIAL DATA MODEL

Distribution,interoperability,interactivity,component are four main features of distributed GIS.Based on the principle of hypermap,hypermedia and distributed database,the paper comes up with a kind of distributed spatial data model which is in accordance with those features of distributed GIS.The model takes catalog service as the outline of spatial information globalization,and defines data structure of hypermap node in different level.Based on the model,it is feasible to manage and process distributed spatial information,and integrate multi_source,heterogeneous spatial data into a framework.Traditionally,to retrieve and access spatial data via Internet is only by theme or map name.With the concept of the model,it is possible to retrieve,load,and link spatial data by vector_based graphics on the Internet.

THE COMPILATION OF A DTM AND A NEW SATELLITE IMAGE MAP FOR KING GEORGE ISLAND,ANTARCTICA

An improved topographic database for King George Island,one of the most frequently visited regions in Antarctica,is presented.A first step consisted in combining data from differential GPS surveys gained during the austral summers 1997～1998 and 1999～2000,with the current coastline from a SPOT satellite image mosaic,topographic information from existing maps and from the Antarctic Digital Database.From this data sets,a digital terrain model (DTM) was generated using Arc/Info GIS.In a second step,a satellite image map at the scale 1∶100 000 was assembled from contour lines derived from the DTM and the satellite mosaic.A lack of accurate topographic information in the eastern part of the island was identified.Additional topographic surveying or SAR interferometry should be used to improve the data quality in that area.The GIS integrated database will be indispensable for glaciological and climatological studies and administrative and scientific purposes.In future,the application of GIS techniques will be mandatory for environmental impact studies and environmental monitoring as well as for management plans on King George Island.

Composition of plagioclases in volcanic rocks of King George Island, Antarctica with reference to the petrogenetic significance

Plagioclases occur mainly as phenocrysts in volcanic rocks of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica. In basaltic andesites and andesites of Keller Peninsula and Ullman Spur (Admiralty Bay), they are high structure state labradorite andesines; and in high Al basalts and basaltic andesites of Barton and Weaver peninsulas (Maxwell Bay), they are high structure state bytownite anorthites.∑[WT9.BZ]REE, La/Yb ratios and δEu values of plagioclases from Admiralty Bay are higher than those from Maxwell Bay. All plagioclases have rather identical chondrite normalized transitional element distribution patterns, probably reflecting that crystal structure rather than composition of plagioclase controls their diversity. Compositions of plagioclases depend chiefly on those of their host rocks, compositional differences of plagioclases reveal that basaltic magmas in the Admiralty Bay area are more evolved than in the Maxwell Bay area.

Volcanic geology of Admiralty Bay,King George Island,Antarctica

At Admiralty Bay of central King George Island, Keller Peninsula, Ull-man Spur and Point Hennequin are main Tertiary volcanic terranes. Field investigation and isotopic datings indicate that, there occurred three periods of eruptions ( three volcanic cycles) and accompanying N-toward migration of the volcanic center on Keller Peninsula. After the second period of eruptions, the crater collapsed and a cal-dera was formed, then later eruptions were limited at the northern end of the peninsula and finally migrated to Ullman Spur. Thus Keller Peninsula is a revived caldera, and its volcanism migrated toward E with time. Point Hennequin volcanism happened more or less simultaneously with the above two areas, but has no clear relation in chemical evolution with them, frequently it belongs to another independent volcanic center.

A fossil homolodromiid crab from King George Island, Antarctica

Homolodromia inflata (Forster) described in this paper is found from theMiocene Cape Melville Formation of the glacio-marine sediments in King George Island, Antarctica.A comparison is made between the genera Homolodromia andAntarctidromia and a discussion is also made on the taxonomic placement of the genusHomolodromia in the Brachyura,we would like to consider that the genus Antarctidromia previously identified by Forster,may be a synonym of the genus Homolodromia.

Petrological characteristics of the sedimentary volcaniclastic rocks of the Fossil Hill Formation （eocene） in King George Island， West Antarctica

The Fossil Hill Formation of the type section composed chiefly of the sedimentary-volcaniclastic breccia and tuffites can be divided into two cycles of sedimentation. The thermal fluid was active in the coarse volcaniclastic deposits of the lower cy-cle, it led to the formation of laumontite,analcite,albite and regularly hybrid mineral of interlayered chlorite and montmorillonite .which are absent from the upper cycle, and to the transportation and concentration of some of trace elements between the coarser tuffites and the overlying fine tuffite bed at the upper part of this cycle. So-called 'rainprint' and 'mud crack' actually are non-sedimentary originally, they were formed respectively by sheddillg of the small zeolitized concretions on the bedding plane and tectonic pressed stress. The evidences indicate that the Fossil Hill Formation of the Fossil Hill section was deposited in an intermontane lake affected by both volcanic action andseasonal flail under the condition of worm and moist climate.

The elemental geochemical characteristics of Late Quaternary rock core from Yanwo Lake in the Great Wall Station area， King George Island， Southwest Antarctica

This paper is manily to treat the change regularity of the contens,distributions, enrich coefficients and correlative coefficients of some trace and constant elements in the sediments of Late Quaternary rock core from Yanwo Lake in the Great Wall Station area, King George Island and to discuss the sedimentary sources in Yanwo Lake and the periodical changes of Late Quaternary climate and the environment in the area. It is concluded that the elastic sedimentary rocks, including volcanic sedimentary rocks, around Yanwo Lake are the major sources of Yanwo Lake sedimentsi the mantle material is also one of its sources and what is more, the continent-sourced materials are transported by the Antarctic glacier.