Overview
- From October 2024 to September 2025, Arctic surface air temperatures were the highest in records dating to 1900, with the past decade the warmest on record.
- The March 2025 sea-ice maximum was the lowest in the 47-year satellite record, and ice older than four years has declined by more than 95% since the 1980s.
- Total precipitation over the same year set a new record as June snow cover fell to about half of 1960s levels.
- Warmer, saltier Atlantic waters have reached the central Arctic Ocean, weakening stratification and accelerating sea-ice melt.
- The Greenland Ice Sheet lost an estimated 129 billion tons of ice in 2025, while permafrost-driven “rusting rivers” and shifting fisheries point to growing risks for water quality and food security.