Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Global Sea Ice Coverage from Satellite Data: Annual Cycle and 35-Yr Trends

Claire L. Parkinson Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Search for other papers by Claire L. Parkinson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
15 Dec 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00605.1
Page(s):
9377–9382
Restricted access

Abstract

Well-established satellite-derived Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extents are combined to create the global picture of sea ice extents and their changes over the 35-yr period 1979–2013. Results yield a global annual sea ice cycle more in line with the high-amplitude Antarctic annual cycle than the lower-amplitude Arctic annual cycle but trends more in line with the high-magnitude negative Arctic trends than the lower-magnitude positive Antarctic trends. Globally, monthly sea ice extent reaches a minimum in February and a maximum generally in October or November. All 12 months show negative trends over the 35-yr period, with the largest magnitude monthly trend being the September trend, at −68 200 ± 10 500 km2 yr−1 (−2.62% ± 0.40% decade−1), and the yearly average trend being −35 000 ± 5900 km2 yr−1 (−1.47% ± 0.25% decade−1).

Denotes Open Access content.

Corresponding author address: Claire L. Parkinson, Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory/Code 615, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771. E-mail: claire.l.parkinson@nasa.gov

Abstract

Well-established satellite-derived Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extents are combined to create the global picture of sea ice extents and their changes over the 35-yr period 1979–2013. Results yield a global annual sea ice cycle more in line with the high-amplitude Antarctic annual cycle than the lower-amplitude Arctic annual cycle but trends more in line with the high-magnitude negative Arctic trends than the lower-magnitude positive Antarctic trends. Globally, monthly sea ice extent reaches a minimum in February and a maximum generally in October or November. All 12 months show negative trends over the 35-yr period, with the largest magnitude monthly trend being the September trend, at −68 200 ± 10 500 km2 yr−1 (−2.62% ± 0.40% decade−1), and the yearly average trend being −35 000 ± 5900 km2 yr−1 (−1.47% ± 0.25% decade−1).

Denotes Open Access content.

Corresponding author address: Claire L. Parkinson, Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory/Code 615, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771. E-mail: claire.l.parkinson@nasa.gov
Save
Cover Journal of Climate
Journal of Climate

  • ACIA, 2005: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press, 1042 pp.

  • Bintanja, R., G. J. van Oldenborgh, S. S. Drijfhout, B. Wouters, and C. A. Katsman, 2013: Important role for ocean warming and increased ice-shelf melt in Antarctic sea-ice expansion. Nat. Geosci., 6, 376–379, doi:10.1038/ngeo1767.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Cavalieri, D. J., and C. L. Parkinson, 2012: Arctic sea ice variability and trends, 1979–2010. Cryosphere, 6, 881–889, doi:10.5194/tc-6-881-2012.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Cavalieri, D. J., C. L. Parkinson, P. Gloersen, J. C. Comiso, and H. J. Zwally, 1999: Deriving long-term time series of sea ice cover from satellite passive-microwave multisensor data sets. J. Geophys. Res., 104 (C7), 15 803–15 814, doi:10.1029/1999JC900081.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Cavalieri, D. J., C. L. Parkinson, N. DiGirolamo, and A. Ivanoff, 2012: Intersensor calibration between F13 SSMI and F17 SSMIS for global sea ice data records. IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett., 9, 233–236, doi:10.1109/LGRS.2011.2166754.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chapman, W. L., and J. E. Walsh, 2007: A synthesis of Antarctic temperatures. J. Climate, 20, 4096–4117, doi:10.1175/JCLI4236.1.

  • Comiso, J. C., and K. Steffen, 2001: Studies of Antarctic sea ice concentrations from satellite data and their applications. J. Geophys. Res., 106 (C12), 31 361–31 385, doi:10.1029/2001JC000823.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Comiso, J. C., and C. L. Parkinson, 2008: Arctic sea ice parameters from AMSR-E data using two techniques and comparisons with sea ice from SSM/I. J. Geophys. Res., 113, C02S05, doi:10.1029/2007JC004255.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Comiso, J. C., C. L. Parkinson, R. Gersten, and L. Stock, 2008: Accelerated decline in the Arctic sea ice cover. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L01703, doi:10.1029/2007GL031972.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gloersen, P., W. J. Campbell, D. J. Cavalieri, J. C. Comiso, C. L. Parkinson, and H. J. Zwally, 1992: Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, 1978–1987: Satellite passive-microwave observations and analysis. NASA SP-511, 290 pp.

  • Hartmann, D. L., and Coauthors, 2013: Observations: Atmosphere and surface. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, T. F. Stocker et al., Eds., Cambridge University Press, 159–254.

  • Ivanova, N., O. M. Johannessen, L. T. Pedersen, and R. T. Tonboe, 2014: Retrieval of Arctic sea ice parameters by satellite passive microwave sensors: A comparison of eleven sea ice concentration algorithms. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 52, 7233–7246, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2014.2310136.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Jeffries, M. O., J. E. Overland, and D. K. Perovich, 2013: The Arctic shifts to a new normal. Phys. Today, 66, 35–40, doi:10.1063/PT.3.2147.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Johnson, T., 1999: World out of balance. Native Americas, 16 (3), 8–25.

  • Kellogg, W. W., 1975: Climatic feedback mechanisms involving the polar regions. Climate of the Arctic, G. Weller and S. A. Bowling, Eds., University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 111–116.

  • Kwok, R., and D. A. Rothrock, 2009: Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESat records: 1958–2008. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L15501, doi:10.1029/2009GL039035.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Laxon, S. W., and Coauthors, 2013: CryoSat-2 estimates of Arctic sea ice thickness and volume. Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 732–737, doi:10.1002/grl.50193.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Meier, W. N., J. Stroeve, and F. Fetterer, 2007: Whither Arctic sea ice? A clear signal of decline regionally, seasonally and extending beyond the satellite record. Ann. Glaciol., 46, 428–434, doi:10.3189/172756407782871170.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Meier, W. N., and Coauthors, 2014: Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity. Rev. Geophys., 52, 185–217, doi:10.1002/2013RG000431.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • NSIDC, 1992: DMSP SSM/I brightness temperatures and sea ice concentration grids for the polar regions on CD-ROM: User’s guide. Spec. Rep. 1, National Snow and Ice Data Center, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, 222 pp.

  • Parkinson, C. L., and J. C. Comiso, 2008: Antarctic sea ice parameters from AMSR-E data using two techniques and comparisons with sea ice from SSM/I. J. Geophys. Res., 113, C02S06, doi:10.1029/2007JC004253.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Parkinson, C. L., and D. J. Cavalieri, 2012: Antarctic sea ice variability and trends, 1979–2010. Cryosphere, 6, 871–880, doi:10.5194/tc-6-871-2012.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Parkinson, C. L., D. J. Cavalieri, P. Gloersen, H. J. Zwally, and J. C. Comiso, 1999: Arctic sea ice extents, areas, and trends, 1978–1996. J. Geophys. Res., 104 (C9), 20 837–20 856, doi:10.1029/1999JC900082.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Post, E., and Coauthors, 2013: Ecological consequences of sea-ice decline. Science, 341, 519–524, doi:10.1126/science.1235225.

  • Rothrock, D. A., Y. Yu, and G. A. Maykut, 1999: Thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 3469–3472, doi:10.1029/1999GL010863.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Screen, J. A., and I. Simmonds, 2010: The central role of diminishing sea ice in recent Arctic temperature amplification. Nature, 464, 1334–1337, doi:10.1038/nature09051.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Screen, J. A., I. Simmonds, C. Deser, and R. Tomas, 2013: The atmospheric response to three decades of observed Arctic sea ice loss. J. Climate, 26, 1230–1248, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00063.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Stammerjohn, S. E., and R. C. Smith, 1997: Opposing Southern Ocean climate patterns as revealed by trends in regional sea ice coverage. Climatic Change, 37, 617–639, doi:10.1023/A:1005331731034.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Stroeve, J. C., M. C. Serreze, M. M. Holland, J. E. Kay, J. Maslanik, and A. P. Barrett, 2012: The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking sea ice cover: A research synthesis. Climatic Change, 110, 1005–1027, doi:10.1007/s10584-011-0101-1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Tedesco, L., and M. Vichi, 2014: Sea ice biogeochemistry: A guide for modellers. PLoS ONE, 9, e89217, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089217.

  • Thompson, D. W. J., and S. Solomon, 2002: Interpretation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change. Science, 296, 895–899, doi:10.1126/science.1069270.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Turner, J., and Coauthors, 2009: Non-annular atmospheric circulation change induced by stratospheric ozone depletion and its role in the recent increase of Antarctic sea ice extent. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L08502, doi:10.1029/2009GL037524.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Turner, J., J. S. Hosking, T. Phillips, and G. J. Marshall, 2013: Temporal and spatial evolution of the Antarctic sea ice prior to the September 2012 record maximum extent. Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 5894–5898, doi:10.1002/2013GL058371.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Vihma, T., 2014: Effects of Arctic sea ice decline on weather and climate: A review. Surv. Geophys, 35, 1175–1214, doi:10.1007/s10712-014-9284-0.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Walsh, J. E., 2013: Melting ice: What is happening to Arctic sea ice, and what does it mean for us? Oceanography, 26, 171–181, doi:10.5670/oceanog.2013.19.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yu, Y., G. A. Maykut, and D. A. Rothrock, 2004: Changes in the thickness distribution of Arctic sea ice between 1958–1970 and 1993–1997. J. Geophys. Res., 109, C08004, doi:10.1029/2003JC001982.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zhang, J., 2007: Increasing Antarctic sea ice under warming atmospheric and oceanic conditions. J. Climate, 20, 2515–2529, doi:10.1175/JCLI4136.1.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zwally, H. J., J. C. Comiso, C. L. Parkinson, D. J. Cavalieri, and P. Gloersen, 2002: Variability of Antarctic sea ice 1979–1998. J. Geophys. Res., 107 (C5), 3041, doi:10.1029/2000JC000733.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 2099 586 59
PDF Downloads 1132 407 45