| Abstract: | Temporal-spatial characteristics of Antarctic surface air temperature and sea ice variations have been statistically analyzed. Results show that, during the last 30 years there was an obvious warming trend in Antarctica, but there exists substantial difference in different sectors and different period. The most significant warming trend occurred in the Antarctic Peninsula, about 2-3 times greater than that in the whole east Antarctica. In recent 20 years the correlation between Antarctic mean temperature and mean sea ice area is low and insignificant, but its linear trends are found to be opposite related in each sector, that is, sea ice extent reductions when temperatures are high. The different climate sectors defined by cluster analysis clearly show a close relationship between two parameters on the inter-seasonal time scale. The most sensitive correlation sectors found are from south Atlantic to southwest Pacific ocean. |
