RADARSAT Antarctic Mapping Mission (RAMP) Images
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Fimbul Ice Shelf
Ross Island
Ice Stream B
Ice Stream C
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Allan Hills
Lambert Glacier
Snow Dunes
Lake Vostok
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The first Antarctic Mapping Mission (AMM-1) conducted by Canada's RADARSAT-1 satellite acquired complete satellite coverage of the Antarctic continent. Hundreds of swath images acquired over a five week period in September and October of 1997 were assembled into an image mosaic depicting the entire continent at 25 meter resolution. The mosaic provides a detailed look at ice sheet morphology, rock outcrops, research infrastructure, the coastline, and other features of Antarctica. SAR data allow ready discrimination between areas of high snow accumulation, crevassed regions, and areas susceptible to seasonal melt. Field camps and features such as runways and heavily traveled snowmobile tracks are also visible.
The RAMP gallery contains images of selected regions derived from a 125 meter version of the continental mosaic (use of higher-resolution data requires special authorization by NASA). The images demonstrate the mosaic's impressive degree of detail, and the diversity of Antarctica's geologic and glaciologic features.
The follow-up Modified Antarctic Mapping Mission (MAMM) in 2001 collected a series of sequential maps of the continent north of 80 degrees south latitude, with the objective of ice velocity mapping and change detection. Images and data from MAMM are expected in 2003.
NSIDC and the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) jointly distribute the RAMP products.
These images are from NSIDC's RAMP AMM-1 SAR Image Mosaic of Antarctica product. For more information, see the RAMP project at NSIDC and RAMP data at NSIDC.
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