Survey to detect long-term variability in Pine Island Bay coastal Ice using archived Landsat Imagery

Members: Michael Jefferson Jr, Ryan Lawerence, Glenn Koch and Ya'Shonti Bridgers
Mentor: Dr. Malcolm LeCompte

In the 2003 Antarctic Surface Accumulation and Ice Discharge project, the Pine Island Bay Region was identified as an area to exhibit rapid changes potentially due to climate warming.

Utilizing the 2003 Antarctic Surface Accumulation and Ice Discharge basal stress boundary vector file, we surveyed the Pine Island Bay region from 100° West longitude to 112° West longitude to determine the accuracy of the grounding line and detect significant changes over multi-decadal time intervals. 

Exelis Visualization Information Solutions’ ENVI image processing software was used to co-register Landsat Muti-Spectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper images. Images prior to 2003 were co-registered with circa 2003 Landsat Ehanced Thematic Mapper used to created the 2003 Antarctic Surface Accumulation and Ice Discharge basal stress boundary. The survey yielded  the possibility of one significant change in the placement of the basal stress boundary and instances of relatively minor basal stress boundary misplacement (or retreat) and evolutionary coastal ice retreat.