What caused the record-low Antarctic sea ice in austral summer 2022?
Schematic of the physical mechanisms involved in the record-low sea ice area in austral summer 2022. Credit: Chao Zhang
Antarctic sea ice is an important component of the climate system, and may act as an early indicator of climate change. Under global warming, significant changes in Antarctic sea ice have been observed. Specifically, it experienced a slow increase during 1979–2014, but a rapid decline thereafter.…