NASA, scientists of NSIDC say the Arctic Winter Sea Led on a record low low

The winter marine ice cover on the Arctic was the lowest that was ever at its annual peak on March 22, 2025, according to NASA -II National Center for Snow and Led (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. On 5.53 million square kilometers (14.33 million square kilometers), the maximum scope dropped below the low lower 5.56 million square miles (14.41 million square kilometers) in 2017.

In the dark and cold winter, the sea ice is formed and spread across the Arctic seas. But in recent years, fewer new ice has been formed, and a lesser -year -old LED has accumulated. This winter has continued the trendy trend that scientists have noticed in the last few decades. This year’s peak ice cover was 510,000 square kilometers (1.32 million square kilometers) below the average level between 1981 and 2010.

In 2025, March 1, the summer ice in Antarctica retreated to 764,000 square kilometers (1.98 million square kilometers), binding to the second lowest minimum scope ever recorded. This is 30% below 1.10 million square kilometers (2.84 million square kilometers) that were typical of Antarctica before 2010. The circumference of the sea ice is defined as the total ocean surface with at least 15% of ice concentration.

The reduction of ice in both polar regions has led to another turning point in a collected amount of sea ice on the planet has reached all the time. Globally speaking, ice coverage in mid -February this year decreased by more than one million square kilometers (2.5 million square kilometers) since the 2010 average. In total, the country lacks the area of ​​marine ice large enough to cover the entire continental united states east of Mississippi.

“We’ll get into the next summer season with less ice to start,” said Linette Boisvert, scientist Leda in Nasa -in Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “That is not good for the future.”

Scientists are primarily relying on satellite in Defense meteorological satellite programwhich measures Earth’s radiation in a microwave range. This natural radiation is different for open water and marine LED ice lid is bright in satellite microwave-based paintings. Microwave scanners can also penetrate the cloudy cover, allowing daily global observations. DMSP data expanded with historical sources, including data collected between 1978 and 1985 with Nimbus-7 Satellite jointly managed by NASA and the National Ocean and atmosphere administration.

“It is not yet clear whether the southern hemisphere has entered a new norm with a perennial low ice or is Antarctica in a passing phase that will return to the previous levels in the years to come,” said Walt Meier, a scientist with ICE with NSIDC.

Per James Riordon
NASA -in News team

Media Contact: Elizabeth Vlock
NASA -in headquarters