Sea ice extent sinks to record lows at both poles

Sea ice extent sinks to record lows at both poles

Arctic sea ice appears to have reached on March 7 a record low wintertime maximum extent. This is the lowest maximum in the 38-year satellite record. On the opposite side of the planet, on March 3 sea ice around Antarctica hit its lowest extent ever recorded by…

Antarctic sea ice growth explained by natural variability

Antarctic sea ice growth explained by natural variability

A newly published study offers evidence that the negative phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), which is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific, has created favorable conditions for additional…

2015 maximum sea ice cover lowest recorded since 2008

2015 maximum sea ice cover lowest recorded since 2008

The sea ice cover of the Southern Ocean reached its yearly maximum extent on October 6, 2015. Sea ice cover at its maximum has spread across the area of 18.83 million square kilometers (7.27 million square miles), which puts it both on the 22nd lowest and 16th…

2015 Arctic sea ice minimum extent fourth lowest on record

2015 Arctic sea ice minimum extent fourth lowest on record

Satellite data show the Arctic sea ice minimum extent of the year 2015 is the fourth lowest recorded since the beginning of the observations from space.Researchers from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder have

2012 Arctic Report Card – Dramatic changes in the Arctic

2012 Arctic Report Card – Dramatic changes in the Arctic

The Arctic Report Card is tracking recent environmental changes, with 20 essays on different aspects of the environment. The Arctic Report Cards produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are a source of reliable and brief information on the