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Temporal and spatial evolution of the Antarctic sea ice prior to the September 2012 record maximum extent
Author(s) -
Turner John,
Hosking J. Scott,
Phillips Tony,
Marshall Gareth J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2013gl058371
Subject(s) - geology , sea ice , trough (economics) , ice shelf , circumpolar star , oceanography , climatology , antarctic sea ice , arctic ice pack , cryosphere , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract On 24 September 2012 the Antarctic sea ice extent (SIE) reached a new annual daily maximum (ADM) for the satellite era of 19.72 × 10 6 km 2 . The largest positive SIE anomalies compared to the mean of all ADMs were found over the northern Amundsen Sea, off the coast of Wilkes Land, with smaller positive anomalies off the Dronning Maud Land coast (30°W to 30°E). The SIE at the ADM is significantly correlated with the extents for the previous 80 days, but the ice growth during the winter of 2012 was close to the climatological rate, and 1 month before the ADM, the SIE was near the recent mean. Deep depressions in the circumpolar trough since late August 2012 resulted in strong southerly flow and marked northward sea ice advection. The linear trend in SIE suggests that it contributed ~40% to the 2012 anomaly, with depression activity adding ~60%.