Abstract This study aims to investigate the glacier shrinkage and recent proglacial environment in King George Bay, Antarctica, since 1988 in response to climate change. Remote sensing data (SPOT, Sentinel, Landsat and Planet Scope images) were applied to glacial landforms and ice-marginal fluctuations mapping. Annual mean near-surface air temperature reanalysis solutions from ERA-Interim were analyzed. Moraines and glaciofluvial landforms were identified. The Ana Northern Glacier has the highest retreat value (3.64 km) (and area loss of 31%) in response to higher depth in frontal ice-margin and reveal ocean-glacier linkages. The Ana South Glacier changed from a tidewater glacier to land-terminating after 1995, and had an outline minimum elevation variation of 89 meters, a shrinkage of 0.63 km, and a new proglacial subaerial sector. The Ana South Glacier foreland had recessional moraines (probably formed between 1995 and 2022), lagoons, and lakes. There are many flutings in low-relief environments. The 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019 anomaly plots concerning to the 1980-2019 average for atmospheric temperature, are shown to be a driver of the local glacial trends. Bay Antarctica 198 change SPOT, SPOT (SPOT Sentinel images icemarginal ice marginal mapping nearsurface near surface ERAInterim ERA Interim analyzed identified 3.64 364 3 64 (3.6 km 31% 31 icemargin margin oceanglacier ocean linkages landterminating land terminating 8 meters 063 0 63 0.6 sector probably 199 2022, 2022 , 2022) lagoons lakes lowrelief low relief environments 19801989, 19801989 1980 1989, 1989 1980-1989 19901999, 19901999 1990 1999, 1999 1990-1999 20002009, 20002009 2000 2009, 2009 2000-2009 20102019 2010 2019 2010-201 19802019 1980-201 trends 19 3.6 36 6 (3. 06 0. 202 1980198 1980-198 1990199 1990-199 2000200 200 2000-200 2010201 201 2010-20 1980201 1980-20 1 3. (3 20 198019 1980-19 199019 1990-19 200020 2000-20 201020 2010-2 198020 1980-2 ( 2 19801 1980-1 19901 1990-1 20002 2000-2 20102 2010- 19802 1980- 1990- 2000-

Abstract Areas of high concentration of seal carcasses have been observed in localized areas of James Ross Island, Antarctica. Such carcasses show an unusual vegetation development, in a semi-arid area with bare soils under intense winds, high salinity and sandy texture. We investigated carcasses of seals around a lake in James Ross Island, with four different stages of decomposition, with three replicates: Seal (S01), with recently mummified carcasses; S02, with partially degraded carcasses; S03, with broken carcasses with partially degraded exposed bones, and S04, with completely broken, scattered skeletons. The vegetation showed a maximum degree of development in carcasses at stages S02 and S03, with the environment between the skin and the skeleton as the preferred place for vegetation establishment. The chemical alteration was greater with increasing carcass decomposition but reduced with the spreading and final decomposition of the bones, with anomalous values observed only in the vicinity of the carcasses. It is concluded that the presence of carcasses of seals, concentrated in wet places, even in a semi-desert climate, represent important oases of nutrients, with a combination of physical and chemical effects throughout the decomposition process that favor plant establishment and succession. Island Antarctica semiarid semi arid winds texture replicates S01, S01 S , (S01) S03 bones S04 skeletons S0 places semidesert desert climate nutrients succession (S01 (S0 (S

Abstract Understanding the influence of soil-forming factors and processes in ornithogenic soils is important to predict impacts of climate change on Antarctic ecosystems. Herein, we analyzed the soil-landscape interplays and development of ornithogenic soils at Harmony Point (HP), Nelson Island. We collected, described, and classified 24 soil profiles, combined with vegetation and landforms descriptions. Geoprocessing techniques were employed for mapping. Soil physical, chemical, geochemical, and mineralogical analyses were applied. Patterned ground, “Ornithogenic”/Typic Gelorthent, and moss carpets were the dominant landform, soil and vegetation classes, respectively. Soils from rocky outcrops were more structured, acidic, with higher organic carbon, organometallic complexes, and secondary phosphate minerals, due to former bird influence. Soils from cryoplanated platforms presented higher water pH, base saturation, clay content, and secondary silicate minerals. Soils from marine terraces presented high exchangeable bases, phosphorous, and amorphous phosphate minerals. Soil chemical weathering is enhanced by ornithogenesis and widespread in HP. Besides ornithogenesis, organic matter accumulation, cryoturbation, and cryoclastic processes are also important to pedogenesis of ornithogenic soils. The soils of the cryoplanated platforms exhibited a gradient of pedogenetic development corresponding to increasing biota influence and distance from glacier. In contrast, soils of rocky outcrops were more developed even close to the glacier, due to ornithogenesis. soilforming forming ecosystems Herein soillandscape landscape HP, HP , (HP) Island collected described 2 profiles descriptions mapping physical geochemical applied ground Ornithogenic/Typic OrnithogenicTypic Ornithogenic /Typic Typic Gelorthent landform classes respectively structured acidic carbon complexes minerals pH saturation content bases phosphorous accumulation cryoturbation glacier contrast (HP

Abstract Sulfurization is a pedogenic process that involves pyrite oxidation and strong soil acidification, accounting for the formation of acid sulfate soils. In Antarctica, acid sulfate soils are related to specific parent materials, such as sulfide-bearing andesites in Maritime Antarctica and pyritized sedimentary rocks in James Ross Archipelago. The hypothesis is that the acid sulfate soils of these regions vary according with a climate gradient. The reviewing of current data showed that the acid sulfate soils of warmer and wetter Maritime Antarctica have a greater weathering degree, higher acidity, leaching, phosphorus adsorption capacity, structural development, and well-crystallized iron oxides and kaolinite formation. On the other hand, the sulfurization at the drier region of James Ross Archipelago is counterbalanced by the semiaridity, resulting in lower acidity and higher base contents combined with little morphological and mineralogical evolution besides presence of weatherable minerals in the clay fraction. The sulfurization process interplays with other pedogenic processes, such as the phosphatization in Maritime Antarctica and salinization in James Ross Archipelago. Higher temperatures and soil moisture enhance the pedogenesis, showing that even the Antarctic sulfate soils, which originated from specific parent materials, have their development and characteristics controlled by a clear climatic gradient.