ICE MELT

Rising temperatures are reducing ice cover on land, lakes, and sea and this is expected to continue. The retreat of the Arctic sea ice in winter is less dramatic than in summer, but there is a continuous reduction of the ocean surface covered by the ice. The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before mid-century.

Explore declining ice cover.

Sea ice in the Arctic has decreased dramatically since the late 1970s, particularly in summer and autumn. Since the satellite record began in 1978, minimum Arctic sea ice extent (which occurs in early to mid-September) has decreased by more than 40%.