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During the winter, the Southern Ocean freezes over around the coast of Antarctica, which it surrounds.
Ninety-eight percent of the continent is covered with an ice sheet. In winter, these two merge, essentially doubling the size of the continent with this expansion.
Vertically, the increase in the depth of ice on the ice sheet varies, depending on where you are on the continent. The depth increases through the addition of ice, not through its expansion.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe size of the continent does not change: nor does the size of any continent change seasonally.
However, the Southern Ocean freezes over and joins with the continent's 98% ice coverage -- of its ice sheet -- and it appears as though the size of the continent has essentially doubled.
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When does antarcticas size increase?
Some say that Antarctica's size doubles in winter when the sea ice surrounding the continent freezes.
How wide is Antarctica in winter?
Antarctica is a continent and does not expand during any season. However, the ice sheet that covers 98% of the continent, during winter, merges with the frozen sea ice of the Southern Ocean, and thus, essentially doubles the size of the ice sheet.
What is the maximum extent of sea ice in Antarctica?
During winter, the Southern Ocean sea ice freezes, essentially doubling the size of Antarctica. The extent of the sea ice is about 17 to 20 million square kilometers.
How far does the sea ice extend around Antarctica?
Your answer depends on the time of year when you want to measure the ice. In winter, the sea ice freezes and almost doubles the size of the Antarctic continent. The edges of the ice are ragged and change, depending on the action of the liquid sea.
Why does Antarctica double the size each winter?
The waters of the Southern Ocean freeze around the Antarctic shores during the extreme cold and sunless winter. As opposed to the permanent ice, glaciers, and ice shelves, this sea ice extends for miles into the ocean, covering an ocean area about twice the size of the Antarctic continent (14 million km2). This ice melts again during the summer. The continent itself does not change in size, but the ice sheet that covers 98% of the continent merges with the frozen sea ice, essentially doubling the size of the ice sheet.
How much does antarctica's ice sheets grow in winter?
Essentially the size of Antarctica -- about as large as USA and Mexico combined -- doubles during the winter when the sea ice freezes and joins with the ice sheet that covers 98% of the continent.
What is the seawater ice that forms a wide belt around Antarctica in the winter?
The name for the seawater ice, that essentially doubles the size of the continent, is called sea ice.
Does antarctica double in area every year?
Because the sea ice freezes during winter, and since 98% of the continent is covered in ice, these two ice phenomenon merge -- essentially doubling the size of the continent. The sea ice melts during the summer.
What animal in winter lives under ice and scrapes holes with their teeth to breathe in Antarctica?
You may be describing seal behaviour -- under the ice, which is practical anywhere sea ice freezes. Note that sea ice can freeze during any season in Antarctica.
Why antarctica is bigger in winter and smaller in summer?
The size of the Antarctic continent just about doubles during winter, because the sea ice around it freezes.
What is the wide belt around Antarctica and east Antarctica in the winter?
You may be thinking of the frozen sea ice of the Southern Ocean, which surrounds the continent in winter.
Is there ice on the Baltic sea today?
From November and into winter 45% of the Baltic's surface area can be covered with ice. The thaw begins in late April and May
