sea ice records in the Antarctic

[Robert]

Interesting development:

Due to the differences between the poles, the factors that control a given year's ice are different. In the south, it largely depends on whether winds break up the ice and push it north, where warmer ocean waters melt it. This doesn't play as much of a role in the Arctic, where air and water temperatures control the melting process. It's easy to understand why the Arctic has been experiencing extreme melts, given that the region is the fastest warming area on the planet. It's not as obvious why the ice might be growing in Antarctica; although wind and precipitation patterns have both been suggested, no consensus has emerged.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/09/this-year-sea-ice-records-are-being-set-in-the-antarctic/

 

[metalman]