Multi-Temporal Investigation of the Boulder Clay Glacier and Northern Foothills (Victoria Land, Antarctica) by Integrated Surveying Techniques

The paper aims to detect the main changes that occurred in the area surrounding the Mario
Zucchelli Station (MZS) through analysis of multi-temporal remote sensing integrated by geophysical
measurements. Specific attention was directed at realizing an integrated geomorphological study
of the Boulder Clay Glacier, a partially debris-covered glacier belonging to the Northern Foothills
(Victoria Land, Antarctica). This area was recently chosen as the location for the construction of a new
semi-permanent gravel runway for MZS logistical airfreight operations. Photogrammetric analysis
was performed by comparing three historical aerial photogrammetric surveys (carried out in 1956,
1985, and 1993) and Very High Resolution (VHR) GeoEye-1 satellite stereo-image coverage acquired
in 2012. The comparison of geo-referenced orthophoto-mosaics allowed the main changes occurring
in some particular areas along the coast nearby MZS to be established. Concerning the study of the
Boulder Clay Glacier, it has to be considered that glaciers and moraines are not steady-state systems
by definition. Several remote sensing and geophysical investigations were carried out with the main
aim of determining the general assessment of this glacier: Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR); Geodetic
Global Positioning System (GPS) network; multi-temporal satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
interferometry. The analysis of Boulder Clay Glacier moraine pointed out a deformation of less than
74 mm y􀀀1 in a time span of 56 years, value that agrees with velocity and deformation data observed
by GPS and InSAR methods. The presence of unexpected brine ponds at the ice/bedrock interface
and the deformation pattern observed in the central part of the moraine has to be monitored and
studied, especially under the long-term maintenance of the future runway.