Antarctic sea ice extent may have reached its maximum of 18.95 million square kilometers (7.32 million square miles) on September 28, but the extent still expanded through the following days .As is typical this time of year, there are wide swings caused by winds and storms along the extensive ice edge. Ice extent is now well above the 1981 to 2020 median extent. This follows a remarkable transition from generally below median extent beginning in August 2016 to well above median extent just in the seven weeks preceding October 1, 2020, growth continues post 2016.
Ice extent is above the median extent along a broad area off the Wilkes Land coast and western Ross Sea, near the median extent from the Amundsen Sea clockwise to the Weddell Sea and above the median north of Dronning Maud Land, Enderby Land, and the Cosmonaut Sea. The only major area of below the median extent is in the Indian Ocean sector near the Amery Ice Shelf and eastward, this can be attributed to the anomalously Warm western IOD- Indian Ocean Dipole.
As of 13th October Antarctica sea ice concentration is 18.57M Km2 and shows no signs of rapid melt.
Remember maximum was 19.95M Km2 back in September.
One thing for sure as we head to southern hemisphere summer months, news will be focussed on losses and not the overall trend as given above.
We are also giving daily updates on both polar ice caps over on Twitter.
Thanks
David.