Abstract:

Using sea ice concentration dataset covering the period 1968-2002 obtained from the Hadley Center of UK, this paper investigated characters of Antarctic sea ice variations. The finding demonstrated that the change of sea-ice extent is almost consistent with that of sea-ice area in every longitude, so we last choose sea-ice extent to go on this research. The maximum and the minimum of Antarctic sea ice appear in September and February respectively. The maximum and the maximal variation of sea ice appear in Weddell Sea and Ross sea, while the minimum and the minimal variation of sea-ice appear inAntarctic Peninsula. In recent 35 years, as a whole, the sea ice in Antarctica decrease distinctly. There are 5 subdivision regions in total considering their different variation. Thereinto, the sea-ice extent of Weddell Sea and Ross Sea regions extends and area increases, while the sea-ice extent of the other three regions shrinks and area decreases. They are all of obvious 2-3 years and 5-7 years significant oscillation periods. It is of significance for further understanding the sea-ice-air interaction in Antarctic region and discussing the relationship between sea-ice variation and atmospheric circulation.