Abstract

In a continent as vast and inaccessible as Antarctica even with all our technological advances it is still a hugely challenging place to do field work. Our choices are constrained by aircraft logistical limits and the hazards of glacier travel in highly mountainous areas. As a result, Earth-Observation in Polar Regions, using satellite or airborne platforms (remote sensing) are well-established techniques to aid investigations of the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and subglacial geology.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Hull University are exploring the potential for using satellite and airborne remote sensing to identify rock types (lithological mapping). This has been done in other parts of the world, but their use in mountainous, glaciated places is in its infancy. In these areas it presents many new problems like the effect of snow and ice on rock reflectance, strong mountain shadowing, and the limited nature of rock outcrop. All these factors make it a challenging place for interpreting remote sensing data.