Analysis of Edge Length of Antarctic Sea Ice Time Series During 1978-2014

Based on SMMR and SSM/I sea ice index dataset, we analyzed a consistent 36-year edge length of Antarctic sea ice from 1978.11 to 2014.12. In this period, the edge length of Antarctic sea ice expanded at the speed of 19.54±16.31 km/a(p < 0.05). Based on this analysis, it can be inferred that the sea ice extent grows from March and declines from September every year. The sea ice edge length grows slowly from March to August, followed with a slow decline. It rapidly increases in November, reaches a peak in December and then quickly falls. Generally, the maximum value of sea ice edge length occurs in December, and the minimum value turns up in March. Sea ice edge length is related to both the sea ice extent and fractal dimension. The fractal dimension shows the same trend as the sea ice edge length in March, November, and December, when the periodic ice edge length displays a trend opposite to the ice extent. In other months, the ice edge length exhibits the same trend as the ice extent and opposite the Fractal dimension. In conclusion, the Indian Ocean and Ross Sea sectors show positive yearly trends; the Bellingshausen Sea sector shows a negative yearly trend; the other two sectors show no obvious trend. All the five sectors show no obvious trend most of the time.