Scientific Data (May 2023)

A continent-wide detailed geological map dataset of Antarctica

  • Simon C. Cox,
  • Belinda Smith Lyttle,
  • Samuel Elkind,
  • Christine Smith Siddoway,
  • Paul Morin,
  • Giovanni Capponi,
  • Tamer Abu-Alam,
  • Matilda Ballinger,
  • Lauren Bamber,
  • Brett Kitchener,
  • Luigi Lelli,
  • Jasmine Mawson,
  • Alexie Millikin,
  • Nicola Dal Seno,
  • Louis Whitburn,
  • Tristan White,
  • Alex Burton-Johnson,
  • Laura Crispini,
  • David Elliot,
  • Synnøve Elvevold,
  • John Goodge,
  • Jacqueline Halpin,
  • Joachim Jacobs,
  • Adam P. Martin,
  • Eugene Mikhalsky,
  • Fraser Morgan,
  • Phil Scadden,
  • John Smellie,
  • Gary Wilson

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02152-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Abstract A dataset to describe exposed bedrock and surficial geology of Antarctica has been constructed by the GeoMAP Action Group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and GNS Science. Our group captured existing geological map data into a geographic information system (GIS), refined its spatial reliability, harmonised classification, and improved representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology, thereby creating a comprehensive and coherent representation of Antarctic geology. A total of 99,080 polygons were unified for depicting geology at 1:250,000 scale, but locally there are some areas with higher spatial resolution. Geological unit definition is based on a mixed chronostratigraphic- and lithostratigraphic-based classification. Description of rock and moraine polygons employs the international Geoscience Markup Language (GeoSciML) data protocols to provide attribute-rich and queryable information, including bibliographic links to 589 source maps and scientific literature. GeoMAP is the first detailed geological map dataset covering all of Antarctica. It depicts ‘known geology’ of rock exposures rather than ‘interpreted’ sub-ice features and is suitable for continent-wide perspectives and cross-discipline interrogation.