The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
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Articles | Volume 19, issue 9
Articles | Volume 19, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3535-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3535-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 19, issue 9
Research article
 | 
05 Sep 2025
Research article |  | 05 Sep 2025

Southern Ocean sea-ice leads: first insights into regional lead patterns, seasonality, and trends, 2003–2023

Umesh Dubey, Sascha Willmes, and Günther Heinemann

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Cited articles

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Sea-ice leads facilitate the exchange of heat and moisture between the ocean and the atmosphere during wintertime. We present a new dataset on monthly wintertime sea-ice leads in the Southern Ocean from 2003 to 2023. Our study reveals distinct regional patterns, seasonal variability, and small but significant trends. Here, we present initial findings on Southern Ocean lead dynamics to support future research into the complex pan-Antarctic interactions among sea ice, ocean, and atmosphere.
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