ABSTRACT
Pulsating sea ice in the Antarctic is the largest cryospheric seasonal variation on the Earth. It plays a key role in inhibiting and modifying the exchange of mass, momentum and energy between the atmosphere and ocean in the South Polar region, affecting the local weather and climate in the long term. Sea ice also plays a decisive role in maintaining the habitat of the diverse and unique Southern Ocean ecosystem. Therefore, it is very important to understand, explore, exploit, and model ice cover in the Southern Ocean in a climate change scenario. This chapter discusses the methods of monitoring sea ice in the Antarctic, its seasonal cycle, and the trends and impacts of different (atmospheric and oceanic) drivers on its growth and decay. Finally, projections, findings and limitations of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) are discussed.
