Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 2026 Annual Minimum Extent

What happened

The past 20 years, from 2007 through 2026, have produced the 20 lowest annual Arctic sea ice minimum extents observed since continuous satellite measurements began in late 1978. Daily images of ice cover in the Arctic Ocean show sea ice melting around the pole from March 15, 2026 to Sept.

The 2026 minimum is consistent with patterns observed in the satellite record. That has contributed to relatively stable September sea ice extent in recent years.

Antarctic sea ice extent approaches annual maximum At the opposite end of the planet, Antarctic sea ice is approaching its annual maximum following a fluctuation during August. Antarctic sea ice varies more from year to year than Arctic sea ice because, in contrast to the Arctic, it is not surrounded by land and can respond more freely to changing wind and weather conditions.