About Arctic Sea Ice

Sea ice forms from frozen seawater. During the winter, the area of the Arctic Ocean that is covered by sea ice increases and during the summer the area covered decreases. Over at least the past 30 years, the area covered by Arctic sea ice has declined dramatically, with the most extreme decline seen in the summer melt season. Arctic sea ice is important because it reflects sunlight, keeping the polar regions cool and thereby moderating global climate.

‹ BACK TO MAP