http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/index.html
Antarctic sea ice extent continues to set new records, with average extent in November 0.9 million sq km above the long term average.
Ice area also remains well above normal, where it has been for most of the last decade.
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/seaice.anomaly.antarctic.png
Finally, global sea ice area is close to 1 million sq km above the 1979-2008 mean. It is indeed remarkable just how “normal” global sea ice has been throughout this year, bobbing up and down around the mean.
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/global.daily.ice.area.withtrend.jpg
Footnote
The pack ice is so unusually extensive and severe, that the Australian Antarctic supply vessel, the icebreaker Aurora Australis, was trapped in the ice, after leaving Davis Station.
It was originally due back in Hobart on Nov 16th, but it is now due to dock on Dec 7th.
The delay will mean that its summer schedule will need to be reprogrammed with one voyage being cancelled.
