A recent study though, suggests that over five thousand years ago, the Arctic had considerably less sea ice in the summertime than today, but it was not apparent whether the Arctic was totally free of sea ice in the summertime throughout that time. 8) What is the difference between the seasonal patterns of Arctic Ice in comparison to Antarctic Ice?

The model of Antarctic maximum sea ice is generally symmetric around the pole, shaping a circle around Antarctica. On the other hand, the Arctic is asymmetric, with a lot more ice in some longitudes than in others.

9) What is the explanation for these variations?

These variations take place because of the way the currents and winds move. In the Antarctic there are not disruptions...

This works as an obstacle to the warmer air and water that is in the north, which allows sea ice to form. On the other side, the Arctic region is open to the warmer waters that come from the south. These warmer waters flow into the Arctic and stop sea ice from forming in the North Atlantic. The waters that are off the eastern coasts of Canada and Russia are affected by the cold air that comes off the land from the west. The eastern Canadian coast is also subject to cold water that flows from the north which makes it easier for sea ice to from in that region.
References

National Snow and Ice Data Center. (2008). Retrieved from http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/faq.html