Antarctic Sea Ice Hits 17.59 Million Sq Km, the 3rd-Lowest Winter Peak on Record
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · Oct 13
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits 17.59 Million Sq Km, the 3rd-Lowest Winter Peak on Record
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · Oct 13
Summary
September 14 marked Antarctica’s likely 2026 sea-ice maximum at 17.59 million square kilometers, according to NASA and the NSIDC, ranking as the third-lowest winter peak since satellite records began.
That extent is measured from areas with at least 15% ice concentration, using passive microwave satellite sensors that distinguish sea ice from open water and can see through clouds.
Antarctic sea ice had risen about 1% per decade from 1979 to 2014 and set record winter highs from 2012 to 2014, but the increase ended in 2015 and sharp declines began in 2016.
Coverage has stayed mostly below normal since then, with both the record-low minimum and record-low maximum occurring in 2023, leaving scientists to assess whether the recent weakness reflects long-term change or statistical fluctuation.