Geomorphic evolution of Schirmacher Oasis, central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Schirmacher Oasis is an emergent isolated landmass, surrounded on all sides by ice, occurring along the Princess Astrid Coast in central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Geomorphological mapping on the oasis revealed different stages of glaciation/deglaciation during the current interglacial period. The scrutiny of various geomorphic signatures, both erosional and depositional, indicate that the deglaciation in this area, spanning a temporal range from 171 Ka to present, was episodic in nature. The recessional regime in Schirmacher Oasis was set in at ∼22 Ka and subsequently the area remained ice free. The warming trend, as evidenced by the continuous recession of ice front since eighties, points towards increase in the area of the oasis in future.