Time-series analysis of Antarctic QuikSCAT data reveals several trends. An annual seasonal cycle in which
backscatter power increases during the Austral winter and decreases during the Austral summer, is observed
over most of the continent, with varying magnitude. Several areas also show a large ( ~ 10dB) decrease in
average backscatter during the Austral summer, suggesting melt events. As expected, seasonal variations are
strongly dependent on latitude; the southernmost observable portion of the continent is much less seasonably
variable than the coasts. Interanual trends show strong long-term trends superimposed on seasonal cycles in
much of the continent. Along the coast of most of the continent, backscatter has consistently increased, on the
order of 0.5 dB/year, during the seven-year study period. Other regions, mostly in the West-Antarctic interior
show the opposite trend, with average backscatter decreasing on the order of 0.5 dB/year.
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