Changes in Vegetation Distribution around the King Sejong Station in Antarctica: A Comprehensive Analysis of Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Data, Meteorological Data, and Vegetation Data

Abstract The impact of buildings around the King Sejong Station (KSS), South Korea’s first scientific station in Antarctica, has locally altered snowfall accumulation and vegetation distribution. Areas with high snowfall accumulation exhibited sparse vegetation, whereas areas with low snowfall showed distinct vegetation. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis using various data sources to understand the causes of changes in vegetation distribution. Meteorological data, including air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, and wind, were analyzed to determine the impact of station buildings on snow cover changes. The changes in vegetation distribution were more clearly visible through results of measured Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Additionally, time-lapse electrical resistivity data were collected throughout 2020 to analyze variations in the subsurface electrical resistivity distribution. Electrical resistivity surveys utilized both dipole–dipole and Wenner arrays to gather data, with subsurface electrical resistivity information obtained through inversion process. The active layer, which is characterized by low electrical resistivity and is conducive to vegetation growth, is distributed in the upper layers and changes over time, only in vegetated area. In contrast, the development of the active layer was not observed in nonvegetated area. In conclusion, the time-lapse electrical resistivity data effectively reveal the temporal changes in the distribution of the active layer in the study area. When the electrical resistivity data were interpreted in conjunction with meteorological data, it provided a good understanding of the causes of changes in the distribution of vegetation around the KSS.