From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Coastal complexity of the Antarctic continent

Created 17/11/2025

Updated 17/11/2025

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The Antarctic outer coastal margin (i.e., the coastline itself, or the terminus/front of ice shelves, whichever is adjacent to the ocean) is the key interface between the marine and terrestrial environments. Its physical configuration (including both length scale of variation and orientation/aspect) has direct bearing on several closely associated cryospheric, biological, oceanographical and ecological processes, yet no study has quantified the coastal complexity or orientation of Antarctica’s coastal margin. This first-of-a-kind characterisation of Antarctic coastal complexity aims to address this knowledge gap. We quantify and investigate the physical configuration and complexity of Antarctica’s circumpolar outer coastal margin using a novel, technique based on ~40,000 random points selected along a vector coastline derived from the MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica dataset. At each point, a complexity metric is calculated at length scales from 1 to 256 km, giving a multiscale estimate of the magnitude and direction of undulation or complexity at each point location along the entire coastline. General description of the data A shapefile of ~40,000 random points selected along a vector coastline derived from the MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica dataset. At each point coastal complexity is calculated including magnitude and orientation at multiple scales and features such as bays and peninsulas identified. The structure of the dataset is as follows: Fields Definitions STATION………………………Station number EASTING………………………Easting Polar Stereographic NORTHING……………………Northing Polar Stereographic X_COORD…………………….X geographic coordinate Y_COORD…………………….Y geographic coordinate COAST_EDGE……………….Type of coast ‘Ice shelf/Ground’ FEAT_01KM – 256KM……...Described feature ‘Bay/Peninsula’ AMT_01KM – 256KM……….Measure of complexity, Angled Measurement Technique 0-180 degrees MAG_01KM – 256KM………Measure of complexity - Magnitude on dimensionless scale 0-100 ANG_01KM – 256KM………Angle (absolute angle of station points from reference 0, 0) ANGR_01KM – 256KM….…Angle of ‘Magnitude’ (relative to coastline - directly offshore being 0/360°) Repeated for length scales 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 kms at each point

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Coastal complexity of the Antarctic continent
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/81de1aac-5434-474f-a67a-afa574f7b515
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
metadata@aad.gov.au
Reference Period 01/07/2012 - 30/06/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        -180.0,
        -90.0
      ],
      [
        180.0,
        -90.0
      ],
      [
        180.0,
        -63.0
      ],
      [
        -180.0,
        -63.0
      ],
      [
        -180.0,
        -90.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Coastal complexity of the Antarctic continent". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/coastal-complexity-of-the-antarctic-continent1