Abstract
Mesoscale and large scale characteristics and interannual variability of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice cover are described and evaluated using geophysical data derived from visible, infrared, and microwave sensors. Thirty years of satellite data were used to assess global, hemispherical, and regional trends and to gain insights into the changing sea ice cover in the two hemispheres. The extent of the sea ice cover in the Arctic is shown to be declining at −4%/decade, whereas in the Antarctic, it has been increasing unexpectedly at 1%/decade. The most intriguing result, however, is the rapid decline in the Arctic perennial ice cover area of about −13%/decade and possible connection with greenhouse gas warming. Equally intriguing is the relative stability of the Antarctic sea ice cover and associated effects of the ozone hole, the Southern Oscillation and the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave.
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Comiso, J. (2010). Characteristics and Variability of the Sea Ice Cover. In: Polar Oceans from Space. Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library, vol 41. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68300-3_7
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