Press release from the National Snow and Ice Data Center
Arctic sea ice likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 4.15 million square kilometers (1.60 million square miles) on September 18, 2019, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The 2019 minimum is ranked at second lowest in the 41-year satellite record, effectively tied with 2007 and 2016.
Please note that the Arctic sea ice extent number is preliminary—changing winds could still push the ice extent lower. NSIDC will issue a formal announcement at the beginning of October with a full analysis of the possible causes behind this year’s ice conditions, interesting aspects of the melt season, the set up going into the winter growth season ahead and graphics comparing this year to the long-term record.
NSIDC is part of theCooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The NSIDC Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis is supported in part by NASA.
To read the full analysis of this year’s ice conditions, visit NSIDC’s Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis page.
Download the NASA visualization of the 2019 Arctic sea ice melt season.
View the NASA announcement video.
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Date of publication: 23 Sep 2019
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