Abstract
Routine large-scale monitoring of the cryosphere is performed almost exclusively through satellite observations. Monthly and seasonal estimates of Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice area derived from the weekly Navy/NOAA satellite-based operational analyses are used to monitor large scale climate fluctuations. Weekly and monthly estimates of Northern Hemisphere snow cover area are produced in real-time by NOAA/NESDIS. This paper describes some of the principal modes of sea-ice variability and summarizes some recent investigations which suggest cryosphere-atmosphere-ocean interactions. Interannual variability of sea-ice area is discussed in terms of large-scale atmospheric fluctuations, including possible relationships to the extremes in the phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO). Snow cover and sea-ice operational estimates are currently produced through subjective analysis of satellite imagery. This paper outlines some of the requirements for objective analyses of the cryosphere based on the physical constraints imposed by the cryosphere-atmosphere-ocean climate system.
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