Application of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat ETM+ Data for the Study of Periglacial Features and Permafrost within the South Shetland Islands, Western Antarctica

This paper deals with the application of ALOS microwave and Landsat optical data in the study of glacial and periglacial features as well as morphostructural features in a selected area in Livingston Island which lies in the South Shetland Islands of the northern Antarctic Peninsula region. Polar Regions are key areas in the study of the Earth System having an important role in the understanding of the dynamics, reconstruction and monitoring of global natural processes. The main objective of this work is to study and map periglacial, including permafrost, glacial and geological structures by applying an integrated remote sensing approach in one of our study sites in Livingston Island (Byers Peninsula) for which extensive ground truth information exists from various field expeditions.