A Norwegian Polar Institute image taken in 2016 shows a polar bear wandering on the thinning sea ice in the Arctic. Global sea ice reached a new record low in February, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. File Photo by Norwegian Polar Institute/UPI
A Norwegian Polar Institute image taken in 2016 shows a polar bear wandering on the thinning sea ice in the Arctic. Global sea ice reached a new record low in February, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. File Photo by Norwegian Polar Institute/UPI |
Map of Arctic Ocean sea ice at 2024 summer minimum extent, compared to the median extent from 1981-2010. (NOAA)
Map of Arctic Ocean sea ice at 2024 summer minimum extent, compared to the median extent from 1981-2010. (NOAA)|
|Map of Arctic Ocean sea ice at 2024 summer minimum extent, compared to the median extent from 1981-2010. (NOAA)|
Global sea ice reached a new record low in February, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. This data, which combines the extent of sea ice from the Arctic and Antarctic, has records that date back to the late 1970s.
Previously, 2023 held the record low for global ice following decades of decline. Scientists blame an Arctic heat wave for the new record, which prevented the normal growth of ice in February.
Arctic sea ice reached its lowest monthly extent for February, at 8 below the historical average, Copernicus said. The Arctic had previously set a record low for minimum (summer) ice just last year in September.
According to NOAA, sea ice helps prevent further warming of the globe, and the loss of ice impacts natural ecosystems on land and below sea-level.
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. Data source: EUMETSAT OSI SAF Sea Ice Index v2.2. (C3S/ECMWF/EUMETSAT)