The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 17, issue 1
Articles | Volume 17, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-427-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-427-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 17, issue 1
Research article
 | 
01 Feb 2023
Research article |  | 01 Feb 2023

Megadunes in Antarctica: migration and characterization from remote and in situ observations

Giacomo Traversa, Davide Fugazza, and Massimo Frezzotti

Data sets

ollection-2 Landsat 8-9 OLI (Operational Land Imager) and TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor) Level-2 Science Products Earth Resources Observation And Science (EROS) Center https://doi.org/10.5066/P9OGBGM6

Sentinel-2 MSI Level-2A BOA Reflectance European Space Agency https://doi.org/10.5270/S2_-znk9xsj

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1959 to present H. Hersbach, B. Bell, P. Berrisford, G. Biavati, A. Horányi, J. Muñoz Sabater, J. Nicolas, C. Peubey, R. Radu, I. Rozum, D. Schepers, A. Simmons, C. Soci, D. Dee, and J.-N. Thépaut https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica - Strips I. Howat, C. Porter, M.-J. Noh, E. Husby, S. Khuvis, E. Danish, K. Tomko, J. Gardiner, A. Negrete, B. Yadav, J. Klassen, C. Kelleher, M. Cloutier, J. Bakker, J. Enos, G. Arnold, G. Bauer, and P. Morin https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/X7NDNY

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Short summary
Megadunes are fields of huge snow dunes present in Antarctica and on other planets, important as they present mass loss on the leeward side (glazed snow), on a continent characterized by mass gain. Here, we studied megadunes using remote data and measurements acquired during past field expeditions. We quantified their physical properties and migration and demonstrated that they migrate against slope and wind. We further proposed automatic detections of the glazed snow on their leeward side.
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