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Record Southern Ocean sea ice extent is (very likely) caused by a combination of changing wind patterns (which acts to spread rather than aggregate the surface ice), and changes in the rate of overturning, which leads to stratification of sea-surface temperature layers. The greater ice extent is NOT a signal that the Southern Ocean is cooling -- it is unequivocally warming, as revealed by ARGO and satellite measurements, and indeed is considered the flywheel of the climate system.
Last edited by Amaranthus; 30-05-2014 at 12:54 PM.
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