The lowest maximum Arctic sea extent since 1979 was recorded on March 7, 2017, measuring 14.41 million square miles (5.56 million square miles). The five lowest maximum ice extents were all recorded in the last decade. The frozen layers of seawater that cap the Arctic Ocean typically reach a maximum size in March of each year. After melting during the summer months, the minimum Arctic sea extent usually occurs in September of each year.
Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024
(in million square kilometers)
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National Snow and Ice Data Center. (March 31, 2024). Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024 (in million square kilometers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. "Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024 (in million square kilometers)." Chart. March 31, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. (2024). Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024 (in million square kilometers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. "Lowest Maximum Arctic Sea Ice Extents as of 2024 (in Million Square Kilometers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center, Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024 (in million square kilometers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2024 (in million square kilometers) [Graph], National Snow and Ice Data Center, March 31, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177150/lowest-maximum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
