**2. Ice free areas of East Antarctica**

The East Antarctic coast is marked by a discontinuous mountain chain that can be traced intermittently all along the coast from 750 45′ E longitudes to 150

#### **Figure 1.**

*Map of Antarctica the Southern Ocean (Landsat image mosaic of Antarctica (http://lima.nasa.gov/pdf/ A3\_overview.pdf), with inset showing locations of Schirmacher and Larsemann Hills.*

West longitudes, running nearly parallel to the coast line. There are some low lying, ice free areas in the coastal Antarctica such as the Schirmacher Oasis, Larsemann Hills, Vestfold Hills, Bunger Hills etc., that have been studied in detail for Late Pleistocene (~ 0.12 My) and Holocene glacial History [1–12]. These oases are distinguished from nunataks by the process of ablation. While most nunataks are located in the accumulation zone of glaciers and are kept free of ice by the strong winds, the oases are separated from the ice sheet by a distinct ablation zone. Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills, the two areas being discussed here, are such ice free regions that were covered by the ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maxima (LGM) or earlier, but are now exposed due to retreat of ice sheet.

Schirmacher Oasis (approximately 35 km<sup>2</sup> in area) is situated between longitudes 110 25′ E and 110 55′E and latitudes 700 44'S and 700 46'S, about 85 km inland of the Princess Astrid coast at the northern fringe of central Dronning Maud land. Larsemann Hills on the other hand, is spread over ~50 Km <sup>2</sup> [12] and comprise a group of ice free peninsulas (Broknes, Stornes and Brattnavet) Grovnes promontory and islands (McLeod, Fischer, Sandercock Island etc.) - located south of Prydz Bay at 69"24'S, 76′20'E on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land that lie in between the Vestfold Hills and Amery Ice shelf. The two areas (Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills) are nearly 3000 km apart and experience different scale of environment, severity of climatic conditions and paleoclimate history.

The retreating ice sheet left bare rocks to be exposed to the strong Antarctic winds and other erosional processes. The areas demonstrate subdued topography with strong control of lithology and structure over the landscape. The low lying hills are devoid of horns, arêtes or conical peaks. The flat hills, dominate the landscape. The softer rock material has weathered out giving way to the glacial melt to form scores of lakes in the depressions thus created. The freeze–thaw cycles, frost action and the salt weathering are conspicuous and have resulted in formation of conspicuous landscape typical of periglacial and glacial environment [13].

**23**

**Figure 2.**

*Geomorphological Insight of Some Ice Free Areas of Eastern Antarctica*

Schirmacher Oasis and adjoining areas depict contrasting morphological units, viz. (a) the ice shelf to the north, (b) the structural hills, and (c) the continental or polar ice sheet to the south (**Figures 2**, **3** and **5**). The morphological features as seen in the ice and ice dominated regions around Schirmacher constitute an integral part

The ice shelf extends for about 80 km north of Schirmacher Oasis towards the Southern Ocean and displays a highly rugged and broken undulating upper surface dissected by a number of pressure ridges, crevasses and pods of melt water concentration in the western parts, as compared to a low gradient surface in the eastern sector. The Pressure ridges, formed due to the tidal activity in the sea below, and the obstacle offered by the landmass, are often seen at the contact of ice shelf and continent (**Figures 3** and **5**). A number of melt water channels concentrated close to the hills, in this part, can be noted. The continental ice sheet that encircles the Schirmacher Oasis overrides the bare rocks on its southern side. It has a regional

*Map of Schirmacher oasis showing location of Maitri (Indian Research Station) with ice shelf and continental ice.*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94445*

**3. Schirmacher oasis**

of geomorphology of the region.

**3.1 Physiography**

*Geomorphological Insight of Some Ice Free Areas of Eastern Antarctica DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94445*
