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Antarctic sea ice coverage has likely rebounded this year. US scientists have found that the amount of ice is closer to its annual summer average after four years of extreme lows.
The area covered by Antarctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum level at 2.58 million sq km on February 26. This information is from scientists at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Every year, Antarctic sea ice reaches its minimum level during the southern hemisphere’s summer. This is when scientists measure it for annual readings. Antarctica’s sea ice is important for us all (see graphic).
This year’s level is the 16th smallest since satellite measurements began in 1979. The 2026 minimum sea ice area is closer to the 1981-2010 average than it was in the past four years. This year’s measurement is also 730,000 sq km above the record low set in February 2023.
But the 2026 minimum sea ice is still 260,000 sq km below the 1981-2010 average.
“Through most of the year, Antarctic sea ice was well below the daily average,” said Ted Scambos. He is the senior research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES). “Then, in January and February, strong winds from the south pushed sea ice outward in the Weddell Sea. This slowed the overall decline in extent [the area covered], leading to a near-average minimum.”
The NSIDC warned that the 2026 figure might change. They said that if the ice kept melting or if strong winds blew towards the land, the amount of ice could get even smaller.
“This year’s return to less extreme conditions is not unexpected given the large year-to-year variation of Antarctic sea ice seen in the satellite record,” said Walt Meier. He is a scientist at the Nasa NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Centre.
