As the Arctic experienced a new record summer minimum for ice extent, the Antarctic set a new record for maximum winter sea ice.
Published Oct 11, 2012
This map shows sea ice extent around Antarctica on September 22, 2013, when ice covered more of the Southern Ocean than at any other time in the satellite record.
Published Oct 1, 2013
A spectacular view of sea ice was captured during an Operation IceBridge flight in 2014; the mission surveyed ice at both poles again in 2015, this time simultaneously.
Published Oct 4, 2015
New elevation measurements will give researchers an unprecedented understanding of the thickness of sea ice, which will be used to help improve climate modeling and forecasts.
Published Dec 18, 2018
The 2014 arctic sea ice minimum is the sixth lowest on record, while antarctic sea ice continues to exceed the record maximum extent.
Published Sep 24, 2014
This pair of images shows Antarctic sea ice concentrations at the 2008 winter maximum and the 2009 summer minimum compared to the median ice extent from 1979–2000.
Published May 23, 2009
Due to accelerated Arctic losses, Earth has been shedding sea ice since 1979 at an annual rate of 35,000 square kilometers (13,500 square miles).
Published Feb 11, 2015
Winds pushed Antarctic sea ice north of its typical location in February 2013.
Published Mar 1, 2013
In 2015, the annual maximum extent of Antarctic sea ice dropped below previous consecutive years of record highs.
Published Oct 18, 2015
These satellite-based maps show sea ice concentration in the Arctic and Antarctic during September 2008 and February 2009, the months of the sea ice maximums and minimums in the respective hemispheres.
Published Apr 21, 2009
As a result of the collision, blocks of ice slide above and below each other in a pattern that resembles a zipper or interlocking fingers.
Published Nov 22, 2017
Thin sea ice swirled along the east coast of Greenland in October 2012, against a backdrop of overall thinning sea ice.
Published Oct 27, 2012
The long-term trend for Arctic sea ice extent has been definitively downward.
Published Sep 23, 2019Image of the Day Heat Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Sea and Lake Ice
These images show overall Arctic sea ice extent on September 19, 2010 (the date of the 2010 minimum), and sea ice growth in mid-September 2010.
Published Oct 6, 2010
In April 2016, unusually warm temperatures and heavy winds broke the sea ice pack to pieces.
Published May 20, 2016
In 2017, the Arctic maximum and Antarctic minimum extents of sea ice plunged to record lows.
Published Mar 23, 2017
These maps compare Arctic sea ice minimum extents in 1984 (a year with average coverage) and 2012 (the new record low).
Published Sep 27, 2012
Acquired April 11 and 24, 2012, these images show the movement of sea ice in the Bering Sea with the advance of spring.
Published May 6, 2012
