The geology, landforms and topography of sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, Australia, as revealed by AIRSAR

Enhancements of AIRSAR data are revealing an extraordinary amount of land-surface and geological information relevant to the island´s genesis at a midocean ridge, ongoing uplift and subsequent shaping of the surface by extensive faulting, wave action and active processes including freeze/thawing, wind and rain. Overlaying these enhancements on the TOPSAR DEM enables this active landscape to be analyzed in three dimensions. The level of detail indicates that the radar signals are penetrating the snow cover and being backscattered by the underlying surface of rock, lag gravels and vegetation. Drainage patterns, dammed lakes, levels of incision, fault structures, raised beach deposits and terraces, and possible evidence of glacial action can all be recognized in various enhancements of the AIRSAR data.