Polar amplification is the observation that "Climate models generally predict amplified warming in polar regions" due to climate feedbacks.

Although the most simple climate models predict warming at both poles, the Antarctic

Climate of Antarctica

The climate of Antarctica is the coldest on the whole of Earth. Antarctica has the lowest naturally occurring temperature ever recorded on the ground on Earth: −89.2 °C at Vostok Station. It is also extremely dry , averaging 166 mm of precipitation per year...

 has not warmed as much as the Arctic

Climate of the Arctic

The climate of the Arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. There is a large amount of variability in climate across the Arctic, but all regions experience extremes of solar radiation in both summer and winter...

, and many modern climate models predict this divergence.

According to the IPCC

IPCC

IPCC may refer to:*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the United Nations*Independent Police Complaints Commission, of England and Wales*Irish Peatland Conservation Council...

 4AR: "In contrast to the unanimity of the models in predicting a north-polar amplification of warming, there are differences among the model projections concerning polar amplification in Antarctica, especially over the continent."

The question of whether or not observed Antarctic climate is consistent with climate model predictions has taken on political overtones and become a point of controversy in debates over anthropogenic climate change.