Sea ice surrounding Antarctica reached a new record high extent this year. / It covers more of the southern oceans than it has / since scientists began a long-term satellite record / to map sea ice extent in the late 1970s. / However, the upward trend in the Antarctic / is only about a third of the rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. / The new Antarctic sea ice record reflects / the diversity and complexity of Earths environments. / A senior scientist has referred to changes in sea ice coverage / as a result of global climate change. 【闪光词汇】