Understanding icebergs page. I need to know all of the effects of sea ice on the atmosphere. Also, if possible I would like to learn how those atmospheric effects could effect the other spheres, including the biosphere, hydrosphere and so on. Entire books have been written about what is known and theories about how the system works. For links to a whole lot more on this topic, go to our Understanding polar ice page.
Continents change size only over hundreds and thousands of years.
But, each year the amount of sea ice surrounding Antarctica grows from about 1 million square miles in February, which is the end of summer there, to about 7 million square miles in late September, which is the end of winter. This means that, if you include the sea ice, Antarctica is largest in September. Text with the graphic and links to more graphics and text explain how the growth and melting of Antarctic sea ice affect global climate.