Record low Antarctic sea ice coverage indicates a new sea ice state

• Published in: Communications Earth & Environment
• Main Authors: Ariaan Purich, Edward W. Doddridge
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Portfolio 2023
• Subjects: Geology; QE1-996.5; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00961-9; https://doaj.org/article/3dd3ccd5eaeb4db199cc1630cd095f9a

Abstract In February 2023, Antarctic sea ice set a record minimum; there have now been three record-breaking low sea ice summers in seven years. Following the summer minimum, circumpolar Antarctic sea ice coverage remained exceptionally low during the autumn and winter advance, leading to the largest negative areal extent anomalies observed over the satellite era. Here, we show the confluence of Southern Ocean subsurface warming and record minima and suggest that ocean warming has played a role in pushing Antarctic sea ice into a new low-extent state. In addition, this new state exhibits different seasonal persistence characteristics, suggesting that the underlying processes controlling Antarctic sea ice coverage may have altered.