Coastal complexity of the Antarctic continent

The Antarctic outer coastal margin (i.e., the coastline itself, or the terminus/front of ice shelves, whichever is adjacent to the ocean) is the key interface between the marine and terrestrial environments. Its physical configuration (including both length scale of variation and orientation/aspect) has direct bearing on several closely associated cryospheric, biological, oceanographical and ecological processes, yet no study has quantified the coastal complexity or orientation of Antarctica’s coastal margin. This first-of-a-kind characterisation of Antarctic coastal complexity aims to address this knowledge gap. We quantify and investigate the physical configuration and complexity of Antarctica’s circumpolar outer coastal margin using a novel, technique based on ~40,000 random points selected along a vector coastline derived from the MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica dataset. At each point, a complexity metric is calculated at length scales from 1 to 256 km, giving a multiscale estimate of the magnitude and direction of undulation or complexity at each point location along the entire coastline. General description of the data--------------------------------------------A shapefile of ~40,000 random points selected along a vector coastline derived from the MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica dataset. At each point coastal complexity is calculated including magnitude and orientation at multiple scales and features such as bays and peninsulas identified. The structure of the dataset is as follows:Fields Definitions--------------------------------------------------------STATION………………………Station numberEASTING………………………Easting Polar StereographicNORTHING……………………Northing Polar StereographicX_COORD…………………….X geographic coordinate Y_COORD…………………….Y geographic coordinateCOAST_EDGE……………….Type of coast ‘Ice shelf/Ground’*FEAT_01KM – 256KM……...Described feature ‘Bay/Peninsula’*AMT_01KM – 256KM……….Measure of complexity, Angled Measurement Technique 0-180 degrees*MAG_01KM – 256KM………Measure of complexity - Magnitude on dimensionless scale 0-100 *ANG_01KM – 256KM………Angle (absolute angle of station points from reference 0, 0) *ANGR_01KM – 256KM….…Angle of ‘Magnitude’ (relative to coastline - directly offshore being 0/360°)*Repeated for length scales 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 kms at each point

南极外海岸带（即海岸线本身，或与海洋相邻的冰架末端/前沿）是海洋与陆地环境之间的关键界面。其物理形态（包括变化的长度尺度与走向/方位）直接关联多个密切相关的冰冻圈、生物、海洋学与生态过程，但目前尚无研究量化南极海岸带的海岸复杂性与方位。这项首次针对南极海岸复杂性的特征刻画工作旨在填补这一知识空白。我们基于从南极MODIS镶嵌图（MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica）数据集提取的矢量海岸线，选取约4万个随机点，采用一种全新方法量化并探究南极环极外海岸带的物理形态与复杂性。在每个点位，我们计算1至256千米长度尺度下的复杂性指标，从而对整条海岸线各点位处的起伏或复杂性的强度与方向进行多尺度估算。

数据总体说明————————————————————————————————
本数据集为基于从南极MODIS镶嵌图（MODIS Mosaic of Antarctica）数据集提取的矢量海岸线选取约4万个随机点生成的形状文件（shapefile）。在每个点位，将计算海岸复杂性指标，包括多尺度下的强度与方位，并识别海湾与半岛等地貌特征。数据集结构如下：
字段 定义
--------------------------------------------------------
STATION………………………站点编号
EASTING………………………东向极球面投影坐标
NORTHING……………………北向极球面投影坐标
X_COORD…………………….X地理坐标
Y_COORD…………………….Y地理坐标
COAST_EDGE……………….海岸类型"冰架/基岩"*
FEAT_01KM – 256KM……...描述性特征"海湾/半岛"*
AMT_01KM – 256KM……….角度测量技术复杂度测度，范围0-180度*
MAG_01KM – 256KM………复杂度测度——无量纲尺度下的强度，范围0-100*
ANG_01KM – 256KM………角度（站点点位相对于参考原点0, 0的绝对角度）*
ANGR_01KM – 256KM….…"强度"对应的角度（相对于海岸线——直接向海方向为0/360°）*
*上述指标在每个点位分别针对1、2、4、8、16、32、64、128与256千米的长度尺度重复计算