Abstract: Surface roughness of the west of Marie Byrd Land(Antarctica) was studied using airborne elevation data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center obtained by the Support Office for Aerogeophysical Research (SOAR) during flight surveys from December 1998 to January 1999. By analyzing and considering surface changes in the vertical and horizontal directions, surface roughness was accurately represented by effective slope. For 98% of the research area, the surface effective slope was less than 10° with a minimum value of 0.0126°. The effective slope above 10° was mainly distributed near the coast. The effective slopes of Edward VII Peninsula and some areas near the Shellis Coast were over 30° with a maximum of 39.9736°. The relationship between effective slope and topography on the Ross Ice Shelf, Ford Ranges and Edward VII Peninsula are discussed.

Key words: Marie Byrd Land, surface roughness, effective slope