Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent on September 18, 2022, according to satellite observations. This year, the ice cover shrank to an area of 4.67 million square kilometers (1.80 million square miles) , approximately 1.55 million square kilometers (598,000 square miles) below the 1981-2
Since satellites began measuring it consistently in 1978, summer ice extent in and around the Arctic Ocean has declined significantly. The past 16 years have been the lowest 16 minimum extents, with 2022 tying 2017 and 2018 for the 10th-lowest in 44 years of observations.
“This year marks a continuation of the much-reduced sea ice cover since the 1980s,” said Walt Meier. He is a sea ice researcher at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “That is not something that is random variations or chance. It represents aEach year, Arctic sea ice usually reaches its minimum extent in September, after melting through the warmer spring and summer months. As cooler weather and winter darkness sets in, the ice will grow again, reaching its maximum extent around March.
This image visualizes sea ice change in the Arctic using data provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Global Change Observation Mission 1st-Water “SHIZUKU” satellite, which is part of a NASA-led partnership to operate several Earth-observing satellites. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Sea ice extent is defined as the total area in which ice concentration is at least 15%. This visualization shows fluctuations in Arctic sea ice extent from March through September 2022.
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