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2d ago

Arctic Sea Ice Hits 2025 Minimum, Tying 10th-Lowest Extent on Record

Scientists cite a decades-long decline tracked by satellites since 1978.

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Two walruses atop a small piece of floating Arctic sea ice. Image by Sharon Guynup/Mongabay.
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Overview

  • On Sept. 10, Arctic sea ice fell to 1.78 million square miles (4.60 million km²), matching 2008 for the 10th-lowest extent, NASA and NSIDC report.
  • NASA’s Nathan Kurtz said this year did not set a record low yet aligns with the persistent downward trend in Arctic coverage.
  • The melt pattern early in the season resembled 2012, the record-low year, before tapering in early August, according to NSIDC’s Walt Meier.
  • Meier noted that for 19 consecutive years the Arctic minimum has stayed below pre-2007 levels, reinforcing the long-term signal.
  • Antarctic sea ice is nearing its seasonal maximum yet remains relatively low compared with pre-2016 levels, and its future persistence is unclear as satellites provide a 47-year record now augmented by ICESat-2 thickness data.