The lowest minimum Arctic sea extent since 1979 was recorded on September 17, 2012, measuring 3.39 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles). The frozen layers of seawater that cap the Arctic Ocean typically reach a minimum size in September of each year, having melted during the summer months. The maximum Arctic sea extent typically occurs in March.
Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023
(in million square kilometers)
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Extent in million square kilometers
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National Snow and Ice Data Center. (September 30, 2023). Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023 (in million square kilometers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. "Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023 (in million square kilometers)." Chart. September 30, 2023. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. (2023). Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023 (in million square kilometers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center. "Lowest Minimum Arctic Sea Ice Extents as of 2023 (in Million Square Kilometers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Sep 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/
National Snow and Ice Data Center, Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023 (in million square kilometers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Lowest minimum Arctic sea ice extents as of 2023 (in million square kilometers) [Graph], National Snow and Ice Data Center, September 30, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177156/lowest-minimum-arctic-sea-ice-extents/