MONITORING OF KING GEORGE ISLAND (SOUTH SHETLANDS, ANTARCTICA) 
SNOW AND ICE MASSES USING REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY 
Jefferson Cardia Simóes 
Ulisses Franz Bremer 
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS 
Lab. de Pesquisas Antárticas e Glaciológicas 
Depto. de Geografia 
Av. Bento Gongalves, 9500 
91501-970 - Porto Alegre - RS, Brazil 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 8 
ABSTRACT 
The Island of King George (South Shetlands, Antarctica) is on of the regions of the world most sensitive 
to climatic variations. Its snow an ice masses may respond rapidly to atmospheric temperature changes. 
Monitoring of glaciers and ice caps of the area is, therefore, relevant to assess the impact of 
environmental changes on their extension and volume. It was possible through the examination of aerial 
photographs, LANDSAT MSS, SPOT, and ERS 1 SAR imagery spaced in a period of 32 years, to detect 
variations in the main ice cap of King George Island. comparison with aerial photographs taken in 
1956/57 shows that ice fronts from some fast flowing outlet glacicrs had retreat in average 800 to 1000 
meters until 1993. General retreat, albeit in a minor scale, of other glaciers are also observed. The use of 
satellite imagery allowed the production of a glacio-morphological map where ice limits, divides, 
transient snow line, flow line and crevasse areas are identified. Finally satellite images are being used to 
monitor environmental changes in a Antarctica Special Managing Area (ASMA) recently established for 
Admiralty Bay area (King George Island). 
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