Four research agencies are getting ready to launch a high-resolution map of Antarctica made up of nearly 1,100 hand-selected scenes that will improve research and provide a detailed base to measure changes.

The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica, or LIMA, is set to be made public on Nov. 27, NASA said. It's a partner in the project with the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey.

The map of Antarctica will have uses for research.
(CBC)

The images are being assembled digitally to produce a seamless, cloud-free map of the vast, frozen continent. The map will be 10 times more detailed than any previous image, NASA said on its website.

The map will be available in four versions to cater to different needs. It will be accessible to the general public through the internet.

"The image mosaic will … be a valuable data source for science and logistics activities and provide a baseline for measuring change," the British Antarctic Survey said in its annual report.

The Landsat 7 satellite took most of the pictures, but British researchers and NASA provided some. NASA images were needed to fill the area around the geographic South Pole because Landsat 7's near-polar orbit does not cover the pole.