Mean annual cycles of open water area within the Antarctic sea ice pack are
presented for 1978-87 and 1987-97, compiled using mean daily data. A minim
um of the open water area occurs in mid February, followed by a steady incr
ease until a plateau is established in October, before a sudden surge in ea
rly November to a peak of 4.5 x 10(6) km(2). As this Antarctic Open water S
urge (AOS) occurs on timescales of around one month, its temporal structure
only becomes truly clear when using daily means. The AOS is shown to be th
e result of the relative timings of the sea ice area and extent annual cycl
es. It is suggested these reflect the late spring crossing of the Antarctic
circumpolar trough over the sea ice edge, thus shifting the dominant winds
(Ekman forcing) from westerly (northerly) to easterly (southerly).