Review of Antarctic geomorphological mapping

Abstract

271 geomorphological cartographic documents related to the Antarctic territory have been collected and analysed. The figures collected are a review updated to 1996 and have been gruped into various sets on the basis of size, type and amount of data represented, the hierarchy existing between text and cartographic document and of the criteria used by the authors to represent the landforms. Particularly have been distinguished the following sets of documents: geomorphological maps sensu stricto (s.s.); geomorphological thematic selected maps; geomorphological sketch maps; geomorphological sketches. Although many geomorphological works have been carried out in Antarctica, up to now have been published only 10 geomorphological maps s.s.. Furthermore, the collected maps are highly discordant because they are conditioned by the geomorphological schools of the authors. The discrepancies found mainly lay in the definition of the legends, due to a different importance given to the activity of the morphogenetic processes, the structural characteristics of the investigated area and to the chronology of the events. The modalities of representation are also clearly conditioned, in the case of the geomorphological sketches and of the geomorphological sketch maps, by the landforms and deposits linked to the morphogenetic processes subject of the research. In the last years the interests for the production of geomorphological maps of large territories has grown to testimony the important role that the geomorphological cartography has in Antarctica, both as a method of basic research, as a method of representation and analysis of the territory, as a support of other researches, as a base documents integrated in systems of geographical information (GIS). It is therefore necessary a deeper confrontation between the researchers working on the Antarctic geomorphology, for the convenience to utilize comparable if not compatible and integrated legends.