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6.2 Annual ice cycle

In winter Antarctica grows in size as the surrounding sea freezes, making it the world's largest seasonal event!

Expeditioner at ice fracture in the sea ice

Ice fractures in the sea ice off Davis
Photo: Paul Dudley
In winter Antarctica becomes so cold that the surrounding sea reezes for up to 300 kilometres. The ice undergoes a change in area from roughly 3 million square kilometres in the spring to 20 million square kilometres in the winter.

  • Have students mark on a map of Antarctica a 300 km wide 'ice skirt' around the continent, using the maps below. Ask them to think of reasons why sea ice might complicate research, and how it might help it.

 Seasonal variability of Antarctic sea ice (shaded region) for the period 1973-1992: (a) mean minimum ice coverage, (b) mean maximum ice coverage

Seasonal variability of Antarctic sea ice (shaded region) for the period 1973-1992: (a) mean minimum ice coverage, (b) mean maximum ice coverage


Further information:
The ASPECT site has information on the role of sea ice in the climate system

For an animation of the changes in ice cover around Antarctica go to Gulf of Maine Research Institute. For satellite images showing the changes in Antarctic sea ice over the course of 12 months see fun without touching: satellite remote sensing of sea ice.