Over the coming century, Antarctic sea ice is projected to decline drastically in response to increasing global temperatures. Antarctic sea ice expansion and recession are asymmetric, with regional and temporal variations. For many years, scientists have studied and conducted research on Antarctic sea ice, keeping track of its extent and behavior through satellite measurements and other methods. Since 1979, the decade-long overall increase in Antarctic sea ice extent (SIE) until 2015 shows a rapid decline in recent years. The present study focuses on determining the ocean-atmospheric forcing and climate fluctuations responsible for the lowest SIE record in 2022 and 2023. The SIE reached a record low of 2.16 ? 10? sq km in February 2022, which was 43 per cent lower than the mean extent of the previous February months since the satellite era. However, in the austral summer of 2023, the sea ice extent was about 30 per cent less than anticipated for February. The record-low SIE occurred due to the positive polarity of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), intensification of the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) pressure center, and strengthening of the stratospheric polar vortex. In addition, the global ocean temperature is reported to be one of the warmest on record. Hence, ocean-atmospheric warming and climatic indices modify Antarctica's pressure and wind patterns, resulting in low sea ice. Further, these low sea ice conditions significantly impact the stability of ice shelves and, eventually, the rate of sea level rise. Overall, it is crucial to constantly monitor the patterns and ocean-atmospheric factors that influence sea ice variations.
