Regions of rapid sea ice change: An inter‐hemispheric seasonal comparison

This bi‐polar analysis resolves ice edge changes on space/time scales relevant for investigating seasonal ice‐ocean feedbacks and focuses on spatio‐temporal changes in the timing of annual sea ice retreat and advance over 1979/80 to 2010/11. Where Arctic sea ice decrease is fastest, the sea ice retreat is now nearly 2 months earlier and subsequent advance more than 1 month later (compared to 1979/80), resulting in a 3‐month longer summer ice‐free season. In the Antarctic Peninsula and Bellingshausen Sea region, sea ice retreat is more than 1 month earlier and advance 2 months later, resulting in a more than 3‐month longer summer ice‐free season. In contrast, in the western Ross Sea (Antarctica) region, sea ice…