Antarctic Sea Ice Peaks Near a Record Low
Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent on Sept. 14, 2026, covering about 17.59 million square kilometers, NASA's Earth Observatory reported Oct. 12.
Written on Oct. 16, 2026 from the source documents listed below, after the dates it covers.
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The story
Sea ice around Antarctica likely reached its largest extent of the year on Sept. 14, 2026, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, NASA's Earth Observatory reported on Oct. 12. On that date the ice covered an estimated 17.59 million square kilometers (6.79 million square miles), the third-lowest maximum in the satellite record.
Antarctic sea ice usually peaks in September, near the end of the Southern Hemisphere's winter, and retreats to a minimum in February. Because Antarctica is a continent surrounded by ocean, the ice has room to spread in winter, but it also stretches into warmer latitudes, which leads to more melting in summer.
From 1979 until 2014, total Antarctic sea ice grew by about 1 percent per decade, and satellites recorded new winter highs in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The longer record has swung. From 1979 until 2014, total Antarctic sea ice grew by about 1 percent per decade, and satellites recorded new winter highs in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
That climb ended in 2015, and significant decreases began in 2016. There have been small rebounds since, but coverage has largely stayed lower than normal.
Both the record-low minimum and the record-low maximum came in 2023. NASA says scientists will keep watching to learn whether the decline is part of a long-term change or a statistical fluctuation.
To measure the ice, scientists use satellites with passive microwave sensors, which see through clouds. The record began with NASA's Nimbus-7 satellite in late 1978.
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Image and footage credits: Lead image: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright) · NASA Earth Observatory · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)
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