In 2012 the Arctic summer sea ice extent was the lowest in satellite history, exceeding the previous low in 2007. In fact, the last 11 years (2007 to 2017) have seen lower Arctic summer sea ice extents than in the previous 29 years of satellite records. While the changes in the Southern Ocean sea ice cover have not been so dramatic, there has been a redistribution of sea ice and a slight net increase in recent years, with the low of 2016 being a dramatic exception. Climate projections suggest a reduction of the sea ice cover in both poles, with the Arctic becoming seasonally ice free in the latter half of this century.

The scientific community is investing considerable effort in organising our current knowledge of the physical and biogeochemical properties of sea ice, exploring poorly understood sea ice processes, and forecasting future changes of the sea ice cover.

In this session, we invite contributions regarding all aspects of sea ice science and sea ice-climate interactions, including snow and sea ice thermodynamics and dynamics, sea ice-atmosphere and sea ice-ocean interactions, sea ice biological and chemical processes, and sea ice models. A focus on emerging processes and implications is particularly welcome.