Submarine geomorphology and sea floor processes along the coast of Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica from multibeam bathymetry and video data  

Authors / CoAuthors

O'Brien, P.E. | Smith, J. | Stark, J.S. | Johnstone, G. | Riddle, M.J.

Abstract

Surveying of nearshore areas in the Vestfold Hills using high resolution multibeam swath bathymetry provides both a detailed digital bathymetric model and information on sediment acoustic backscatter. Combined with underwater video transects and sediment sampling, these data can be used to identify and map geomorphic units. Six geomorphic units identified in the survey region include: Rocky outcrops, sediment-floored basins, pediments, steep-sided valleys, scarps and sheltered embayments. In addition to geomorphic units, the data reveal sedimentary structures that provide insights into sediment transport and erosion in the area. Ice keel pits and scours are common while seafloor channels, scour depressions and sand ribbons indicate transport and deposition by wind-driven currents and oceanographic circulation. Gullies and sediment lobes on steep slopes indicate mass movement of sediment. The sheltered embayments preserve a mantle of boulder sand probably deposited by cold-based glaciers. Automated techniques utilizing the bathymetric grid and backscatter to map landforms are useful in defining reproducible boundaries between geomorphic units but cannot easily be adapted to accurately classify the variations in sea floor texture and structure imaged by these data.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

82274

Contact for the resource

Keywords

• External PublicationScientific Journal Paper

( Theme )

• marine

( Theme )

• geomorphology

( Theme )

• antarctica

( Theme )

• bathymetry

• AQ

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Marine Geoscience

• Published_External

Publication Date

2014-09-22T00:00:00

Creation Date

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Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

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Use - license

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Purpose

Maintenance Information

notPlanned

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

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Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-68.75, -68.416666, 77.66666, 78.16666]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

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