Please cite this dataset as follows:

Cook, A., Fox, A., & Thomson, J. (2021). Coastal change data for the Antarctic Peninsula region, 1843 to 2008 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/07727663-9B94-4069-A486-67E4D82177D3

Methodology:

The coastlines from different sources and different epochs were digitised onto a common reference: a mosaic of Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite images with 30 m resolution created by Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie (IfAG), Germany.

Georegistered images (e.g. Landsat ETM+) were digitised directly on-screen and adjusted to the base image mosaic. Other images (e.g. Landsat TM) were registered and rectified to the base mosaic first; non-digital images (e.g. Landsat MSS) were set up on a digitising table.

For aerial photographs, the coastline positions were plotted onto the satellite image backdrop, using permanent rock features visible on the photographs and the photo-scale.

The work used ESRI Arc/Info GIS software.

This dataset is proposed in the following projection: Antarctic Polar Stereographic (EPSG 3031).

Data quality:

The accuracy of the data is variable and related to the quality and resolution of the source maps, aerial photographs and satellite images and how well the coastline positions could be extracted and related to the base image mosaic. The accuracy is listed in the attribute table as three classes. The methods used and accuracy assessment are described in detail in the publications in the references metadata.