The ice cap tied for the sixth lowest extent on record, continuing a long-term decline.
Published Sep 28, 2018Image of the Day Water Snow and Ice Remote Sensing Sea and Lake Ice
The amount of Arctic Ocean covered by ice was significantly more than the record low of 2012, but still well below the long-term average.
Published Sep 21, 2013The 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 maps compare Arctic sea ice minimum extents in 1984 (a year with average coverage) and 2012 (the new record low).
Published Sep 27, 2012As 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, 2012Sea ice naturally grows and melts each year, but the process has been more extreme in recent years.
Published May 3, 2011These 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, 2010On August 26, 2012, Arctic sea ice broke all previous records weeks ahead of the end of melt season.
Published Aug 28, 2012This animation shows Arctic sea ice shrinking to a near record minimum in the summer of 2011.
Published Sep 22, 2011On September 12, 2009, sea ice reached its annual minimum extent, covering 5.10 million square kilometers (2.97 million square miles) of the Arctic Ocean. This image shows the 2009 ice extent compared to the 1979-2000 average.
Published Sep 19, 2009Arctic sea ice has been retreating the fastest in the Beaufort Sea.
Published Oct 18, 2017The extent of Arctic sea ice peaked at 15.24 million square kilometers on March 18, 2012. It was the ninth consecutive year of maximum extents below the long-term average.
Published Mar 27, 2012Since satellites began monitoring sea ice in 1979, researchers have observed a decline in the average extent of Arctic sea ice in every month of the year.
Published Sep 16, 2016Compiled from passive microwave sensor data, these images show Arctic sea ice extent for September 2002 and March 2003.
Published May 16, 2009