A Dec. 26, 2024, Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows maps of purported Antarctic sea ice extent, or area, from Dec. 24, 1979, and the same day in 2024.

A Dec. 26, 2024, Instagram post shows maps of purported Antarctic sea ice extent, or area, from Dec. 24, 1979, and the same day in 2024. Text above the graphic says the extent was larger in 2024 ...

A Dec. 23, 2024, Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a map of Antarctic sea ice extent, or area, with color coding that purportedly shows ice gain and loss between Dec. 21, 2016, and ...

Below is a map of the median minimum sea ice coverage and this year’s extent. This year’s extent is 860 thousand square kilometers, or 332 thousand square miles, lower than the median, shown ...

An NSIDC spokesperson told Reuters via email that Antarctic sea ice extent on Dec. 24, 1979, was 7.38 million square kilometres, and on Dec. 24, 2024, it was 8.28 million square kilometres.

The winter growth period for sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is now over, with levels at a record low. The winter ice extent on 21 March 2025 was lower than at any time since continuous satellite ...

Daily global sea ice extent from October 1978 to 3 March 2025. The year 2025 is shown with a dark blue line, 2024 with a medium blue line and 2023 with a light blue line.

These high temperatures impacted the global sea ice extent, which includes both the Arctic, where sea ice is currently near its annual maximum, and the Antarctic. The satellite record for both ...

Though sea ice extent increased slightly in April, up to 5.4 million square miles compared to 5.33 million square miles as of Feb. 27, the trends are now consistent with seasonal ice decrease ...