This map shows the distribution of the iceberg data extracted from ERS SAR images. Icebergs are identified in Synthetic Aperture Radar [SAR] images by image analysis using the texture and intensity of the microwave backscatter observations. The images are segmented using an edge detecting algorithm, and segments identified as iceberg or background, which may be sea ice, open water, or a mixture of both. Dimensions of the icebergs are derived by spatial analysis of the corresponding image segments. Location of the iceberg is derived from its position within the image and the navigation data that gives the location and orientation of the image. More than 20,000 individual observations have been extracted from SAR images acquired by the European Space Agency's ERS-1 and 2 satellites and the Canadian Space Agency's Radarsat satellite. Because images can overlap, some proportion of the observations represent multiple observations of the same set of icebergs. Most observations relate to the sector between longitudes 70E and 135E. The data set includes observations from several other discrete areas around the Antarctic coast. In general observations are within 200 km of the coast but in limited areas extend to about 500 km from the coast. This metadata record has been derived from work performed under the auspices of ASAC project 2187 (ASAC_2187). The map in the pdf file shows the extent of the coverage of individual SAR scenes used in the analysis and the abundance and size characteristics (by a limited colour palette) of the identified icebergs.

---- Public Summary from Project ---- Understanding the strength of possible biological feedbacks is crucial to the science of climate change. This project aims to improve our understanding of one such feedback, the biogenic production of dimethylsulphide (DMS) and its impact on atmospheric aerosols. The Antarctic ocean is potentially a major source of DMS-derived aerosols. The project will investigate the coupling between satellite-derived aerosol optical depth, phytoplankton biomass and DMS production in the Antarctic Southern Ocean. From the abstract of the attached paper: We analysed the correlation between zonal mean satellite data on surface chlorophyll (CHL) and aerosol optical depth (AOD), in the Southern Ocean (in 5-degree bands between 50-70 degrees south) for the period 1997-2004), and in sectors of the Eastern Antarctic, Ross and Weddell Seas. Seasonality is moderate to strong in both CHL and AOD signatures throughout the study region. Coherence in the CHL and AOD time series is strong between 50-60 degrees south, however this synchrony is absent south of 60 degrees south. Marked interannual variability in CHL occurs south of 60 degrees south. We find a clear latitudinal difference in the cross-correlation between CHL and AOD, with the AOD peak preceding the CHL bloom by up to six weeks in the sea ice zone (SIZ). This is consistent with the ventilation of dimethysulphide (DMS) from sea-ice during melting, and supports field data that records high levels of sulfur species in sea-ice and surface seawater during ice-melt. The fields in this dataset are: Timeseries Worksheet: Date Mean Chlorophyll (mg CHL/cubic metre) Mean Aerosol Optical Depth (no units) 5 Day mean chlorophyll averages 5 day mean aerosol optical depth averages Correlation Worksheet: n - number lag r - correlation coefficient t - student t statistic Global Worksheet Column A = SeaWiFS filename Counter+1 is a counter to indicate the image number in series Date Mean Chlorophyll (mg CHL/cubic metre) Mean Aerosol Optical Depth (no units) Chlorophyll Standard Deviation Mean Aerosol Optical Depth Standard Deviation Chlorophyll Standard Error Mean Aerosol Optical Depth Standard Error Chlorophyll Count (the number of data 'pixels' in the image - the basic pixel size is 9x9km2) Mean Aerosol Optical Depth (the number of data 'pixels' in the image - the basic pixel size is 9x9km2)

A repository of all ARGOS satellite messages from 1982 to present. Trackers have been used on AWS stations, buoys and numerous species of whales, seals and seabirds. ARGOS is a means of sending data back from PTT devices - Position Tracking Terminals. However, the subject does not necessarily have to be moving - as in the case of the Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), which use ARGOS for relaying meteorological data back to Australia. Animal species that have been or are currently monitored by the Australian Antarctic Program using the ARGOS system include: Grey-headed Albatross Black-browed Albatross Light mantled sooty albatross Australian Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seal Weddell Seal Ross seal Crabeater seal Southern Elephant Seal Emperor Penguin King Penguin Macaroni Penguin Adelie Penguin Pygmy Blue Whale Locations in which the ARGOS system is/was being used by the Australian Antarctic Program are: Admiralty Bay Albatross Island Almagro Auster Rookery Bechervaise Island Cape Gantheaume Caroline Cove Casey Davis Diego Ramirez Dumont d'Urville, Base Edmonson Point Ildefonso Inexpressible Island Macquarie Island Magnetic Island Pedra Branca Scullin Monolith Shirley Island Spit Bay Taylor Rookery Ufs Island Each day, data is retrieved via telnet client from the ARGOS site in France. A batch process parses the data files and inserts into the Data Centre database by 0800 local time. End-users can subscribe to an email describing the recent data uploads. Web-based tools are provided to filter the data by bounding box, time span and type of message quality. Finally a optional velocity filter can be applied to remove spurious positions that should not be reachable by that particular species. For example, seal data can be filtered for positions that would require speeds in excess of 10 km/hr. The same tool ascribes species, gender, age class and breeding status to each set of data. A separate control allows the filtered data to be published to the general public and/or to OBIS and GBIF via web services. Output products include maps, excel spreadsheets and KML files for mapping data on Google Earth.