Fryxell Camp (PS01): R-910 - McMurdo Dry Valley Management Plan Revisions
Project: McMurdo Dry Valley Management Plan Revisions (R-910)
- PI: Colin Harris
- Project Lead: Erika Schreiber
- Funding Source: NSF-OPP Antarctic
Description
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are approximately 100 kilometers west of McMurdo Station, across McMurdo Sound. They comprise a series of mostly unglaciated valleys within the Transantarctic Mountains. The ground is primarily covered in loose gravel and a series of meltwater lakes. The lakes’ surfaces are persistently frozen aside from moats along their shores that melt out each summer. No vegetation is present aside from algae and lichen in limited quantities. One of the dry valleys, Taylor Valley runs approximately east-west and is the most active with four research camps located on the shores of its three largest lakes. Taylor Valley is accessible from McMurdo Station via a ~30 minute helicopter flight. Lake Fryxell Camp is located on the north shore of Lake Fryxell. The camp consists of a hut, multiple labs, and a number of campsites.
Objective
The goal of this UAS survey was to develop an accurate three-dimensional model of the facility zone. High-resolution imagery of the facility zone was collected to enable use of Surface from Motion (SfM) methodology. The area requested for survey is indicated in Figure 2. This area was flown, plus an additional 20-meter buffer.