We cross-checked our list of place-names with experienced scientists from fields in geomorphology, biology, and ornithology who have spent many years working on the islands,” explained Rudolph. Importantly, we also went through all the available literature documenting place-names, including gazetteers and the most recent maps published by the NGI and other national departments, to compile a comprehensive list of place-names. “We used data and satellite imagery to map hydrological features such as lakes and drainage lines. Researchers recently compiled an open-access, geospatially accurate topographic map of Marion Island. Their study was published in the South African Journal of Science. To consolidate the geospatial information for transdisciplinary researchers and the public, Rudolph and her colleagues acquired a high-resolution digital surface model from South Africa’s directorate of National Geospatial Information (NGI) and used it as a baseline from which to create other data layers such as slope, aspect, and contours. Sometimes landmarks are used to identify these experimental plots, but these landmarks might not appear on a map-or might be marked as different features on different maps.” “Many research groups use naming or coding conventions to identify experimental field plots or monitoring areas that are used year after year, and this information is sometimes captured in pencil on a map against the wall. Scientists from different generations and different disciplines working on the Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) left their marks on the maps-and those marks sometimes overlapped, Rudolph explained. Get the most fascinating science news stories of the week in your inbox every Friday. ![]() Now, the Prince Edward Islands have a freely available, online geospatial database. “The one data type that all of the sciences on the Prince Edward Islands have as a common need is geospatial data,” she said. Rudolph and her colleagues quickly recognized the need to curate existing spatial data when Rudolph herself began to work on Marion Island, she had to ask for spatial data from fellow researchers and mentors. Even cosmologists and space scientists use the islands as a base from which to monitor solar activity and extraterrestrial radiation, areas of study with which radio and communication signals on the mainland can interfere, said Liezel Rudolph, a lecturer in geography at the University of the Free State in South Africa.īut despite their value to science, spatial data and associated metadata for the two islands (Marion and Prince Edward) were difficult to assess and validate. ![]() For example, biologists study birds, marine mammals, plants, and microorganisms in an environment largely free from the impact of human activities. The uninhabited islands act as natural laboratories for an array of research. As rare landmasses dotting the vast Southern Ocean, South Africa’s Prince Edward Islands provide valuable insights for climatologists, geographers, biologists, botanists, and even astronomers.
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