Cryogenic landforms at the King George Island, Southern Shetland islands

Abstract

The Southern Shetland Islands belong to the oceanic geocryological zone of Antarctic. One of largest islands of the archipelago is King George Island which presents variety landforms of cryogenic-denudational, rival, solifluction and cryostructural types. A distinct pattern can be discerned in the landforms distribution which is controlled: by geomorphology, climate and geocryological features of the island. Most typical for the island cryogenic landforms are described, such as cryogenic-denudational and solifluction terraces, privation cirques, sorted polygons and circles and linear microiormsi due to frost heaving at slopes.