The yellow summary shows the median sea ice level for the month of March, when the ice typically reaches its maximum degree, as observed by satellites from 1981 to 2010. The image above reveals the ice level– specified as the overall location in which the ice concentration is at least 15 percent– at its 2022 optimum, which happened on February 25, tying with 2015 for the 3rd earliest optimum on record. On this day the extent of the Arctic sea ice cover peaked at 14.88 million square kilometers (5.75 million square miles), making it the tenth least expensive yearly optimum level on record. Because satellites started reliably tracking sea ice in 1979, optimum extents in the Arctic have actually decreased at a pace of about 13% per years, with minimum levels decreasing at about 2.7% per years. Even if Antarctic gains balanced sea ice levels worldwide, Arctic sea ice losses could still contribute to more local and global warming.
This image envisions wintertime sea ice change in the Arctic utilizing information offered by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agencys Global Change Observation Mission 1st-Water “SHIZUKU” satellite, which belongs to a NASA-led partnership to run numerous Earth-observing satellites. See the complete video in the post listed below. Credit: NASAs Scientific Visualization Studio
Arctic sea ice appeared to have actually struck its annual optimum extent on February 25 after growing through the fall and winter season. This years winter level is the 10th-lowest in the satellite record kept by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, one of NASAs Distributed Active Archive Centers.
Arctic sea ice degree peaked at 5.75 million square miles (14.88 million square kilometers) and is roughly 297,300 square miles (770,000 square kilometers) below the 1981-2010 average optimum– comparable to missing out on a location of ice a little larger than Texas and Maine combined. This optimal ties with 2015 as the third earliest on record.
This image reveals the average concentration of Arctic sea ice on February 25, 2022. The yellow overview reveals the average sea ice degree for the month of March, when the ice generally reaches its maximum extent, as observed by satellites from 1981 to 2010. An average is the middle worth. That is, half of the levels were bigger than the line, and half were smaller sized. Credit: Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory
Sea ice waxes and wanes with the seasons every year. In the Arctic, it reaches its maximum extent around March after growing through the colder months, and shrinks to its minimum extent in September after melting through the warmer months. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic sea ice follows an opposite cycle.
To approximate sea ice extent, satellite sensors gather sea ice information that are processed into daily images, each image grid cell covering an area of approximately 15 miles by 15 miles (25 kilometers by 25 kilometers). Researchers then utilize these images to approximate the degree of the ocean where sea ice covers a minimum of 15% of the water.
The image above reveals the ice level– defined as the overall area in which the ice concentration is at least 15 percent– at its 2022 maximum, which occurred on February 25, tying with 2015 for the third earliest optimum on record. On this day the degree of the Arctic sea ice cover peaked at 14.88 million square kilometers (5.75 million square miles), making it the tenth least expensive annual optimum degree on record.
Given that satellites began dependably tracking sea ice in 1979, maximum extents in the Arctic have actually declined at a speed of about 13% per decade, with minimum levels declining at about 2.7% per years. These trends are linked to warming caused by human activities such as producing co2, which traps heat in the environment and triggers temperatures to rise. NASAs analysis likewise reveals the Arctic is warming about 3 times faster than other regions.
This chart reveals Arctic day-to-day sea ice level in 2022, 2021, and 2012 compared to the 1981-2010 average. This years annual optimum extent was reached on February 25. Credit: Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory
This February, Antarctic sea ice dropped to a record-low minimum degree. However unlike in the Arctic, this sea ice has revealed irregular ups and downs mainly due to the fact that of the geographical features that surround it. Winds and ocean currents particularly connected to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica have a strong impact on sea ice degree.
Sea ice in the Arctic is surrounded by land, whereas sea ice in the Antarctic is surrounded just by ocean and can hence spread out more freely. Overall, the Antarctic sea ice record reveals a somewhat upward– however nearly flat– pattern or boost.
Gains in Antarctic sea ice are not big enough to offset the losses of the Arctic. The ice in both regions assists regulate global temperatures. Even if Antarctic gains balanced sea ice levels internationally, Arctic sea ice losses might still contribute to more regional and global warming.