Earth  ID: 14413

Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 2023

Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on Sept. 19, 2023, making it the sixth-lowest year in the satellite record, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum extent on record on Sept. 10 at a time when the ice cover should have been growing at a much faster pace during the darkest and coldest months.

Scientists track the seasonal and annual fluctuations because sea ice shapes Earth’s polar ecosystems and plays a significant role in global climate. Researchers at NSIDC and NASA use satellites to measure sea ice as it melts and refreezes. They track sea ice extent, which is defined as the total area of the ocean in which the ice cover fraction is at least 15%.

More information can be found on NSIDC

 

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Grace Weikert (KBR Wyle Services, LLC): Lead Producer
Sally Younger (NASA/JPL): Lead Writer
Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC): Lead Scientist
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Katie Jepson (KBR Wyle Services, LLC): Project Support
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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Keywords:
DLESE >> Cryology
DLESE >> Physical oceanography
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Cryosphere >> Sea Ice
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Oceans >> Sea Ice
NASA Science >> Earth
SVS >> ICESat-2

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0