Sea ice in both polar regions plays an important role in the...

Sea ice in both polar regions plays an important role in the climate system^[1]. Lying at the interface between the ocean and the atmosphere, it is influenced by the temperature of the air and of the water, as well as by surface winds and ocean currents. In turn, the presence or absence of sea ice has a profound impact on the water below it and the air above it. For example, a reduction in sea ice cover allows more solar energy to be absorbed by the ocean (because of reduced albedo), and more heat to be released from the ocean into the atmosphere, which can then lead to further sea ice loss. This feedback loop has been one of the main drivers of Arctic amplification^[2], the phenomenon describing the more rapid warming of the northern polar region relative to the rest of the world.

Sea ice in both polar regions has been monitored from space almost continuously since late 1978, which is when the time series used here began. The data highlight the marked long-term retreat in Arctic sea ice and more complex sea ice changes around Antarctica.

https://climate.copernicus.eu/climate-indicators/sea-ice.