A multivariate analysis of Antarctic sea ice since 1979

Recent satellite observations have shown an increase in the total extent of Antarctic sea ice, during periods when the atmosphere and oceans tend to be warmer surrounding a significant part of the continent. Despite an increase in total sea ice, regional analyses depict negative trends in the Bellin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Climate dynamics 2012-03, Vol.38 (5-6), p.1115-1128
Main Authors: de Magalhães Neto, Newton, Evangelista, Heitor, Tanizaki-Fonseca, Kenny, Meirelles, Margareth Simões Penello, Garcia, Carlos Eiras
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric models
Climate change
Climatology
Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Environmental aspects
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Geophysics/Geodesy
Ice
Marine
Meteorology
Multivariate analysis
Ocean-atmosphere interaction
Oceanography
Physics of the oceans
Sea ice
Southern oscillation
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Summary:Recent satellite observations have shown an increase in the total extent of Antarctic sea ice, during periods when the atmosphere and oceans tend to be warmer surrounding a significant part of the continent. Despite an increase in total sea ice, regional analyses depict negative trends in the Bellingshausen-Amundsen Sea and positive trends in the Ross Sea. Although several climate parameters are believed to drive the formation of Antarctic sea ice and the local atmosphere, a descriptive mechanism that could trigger such differences in trends are still unknown. In this study we employed a multivariate analysis in order to identify the response of the Antarctic sea ice with respect to commonly utilized climate forcings/parameters, as follows: (1) The global air surface temperature, (2) The global sea surface temperature, (3) The atmospheric CO 2 concentration, (4) The South Annular Mode, (5) The Niño 3, (6) The Niño 3 + 4, 7) The Niño 4, (8) The Southern Oscillation Index, (9) The Multivariate ENSO Index, (10) the Total Solar Irradiance, (11) The maximum O 3 depletion area, and (12) The minimum O 3 concentration over Antarctica. Our results indicate that western Antarctic sea ice is simultaneously impacted by several parameters; and that the minimum, mean, and maximum sea ice extent may respond to a separate set of climatic/geochemical parameters.
ISSN:0930-7575
1432-0894
DOI:10.1007/s00382-011-1162-6