A Dec. 26, 2024, Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows maps of purported Antarctic sea ice extent, or area, from Dec. 24, 1979, and the same day in 2024. Text above the graphic says the ...

Winter sea ice in the Arctic just hit a record low. Just 5.53 million square miles of ice had formed as of March 22, the smallest maximum extent since satellite recordkeeping began in the 1970s.

On Dec. 21, 2024, the Antarctic sea ice extent was higher than on Dec. 21, 2016, but the Arctic sea ice extent was lower on that date in 2024 compared to 2016, according to government data.

Last month’s record low for the global sea ice extent came on what Copernicus said was the third warmest February globally. The agency said it marked the 19th month out of the past 20 in which ...

The winter growth period for sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is now over, with levels at a record low. The winter ice extent on 21 March 2025 was lower than at any time since continuous satellite ...

Antarctica's annual maximum sea ice extent in September 2023 was the lowest on record, with approximately 1.75 million square kilometers less sea ice than normal—an area equivalent to about 6.5 ...

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are on course for rapid retreat, even collapse, leading to multiple feet of sea level rise even if the world pulls off the miraculous and keeps global ...

The average was an ice-free period of 27 days, meaning that an ice-free day could in fact turn into an ice-free month. August and September were the most likely months for such conditions to happen.

In the Arctic, sea ice remained at 8 per cent below average throughout February, missing an area of ice roughly the size of the UK. This was the third consecutive month to set a new monthly record ...

As sea ice disappears and grows less reflective, the Arctic has lost around a quarter of its cooling power since 1980, and the world has lost up to 15%, according to new research.

Melting Antarctic ice contributes to global sea-level rise, so a reversal of melting will slow that down. Understanding the dynamics of ice mass on Antarctica is thus essential.