Arctic sea ice has reached minimum extent for 2022

Arctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year at 4.67 million square kilometers (1.80 million square miles) on September 18, 2022, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The 2022 minimum is tied for tenth lowest in the nearly 44-year satellite record with 2017 and 2018. The last 16 years are the lowest 16 sea ice extents in the satellite record. 

This NASA Blue Marble image shows Arctic sea ice on September 18, 2022, when sea ice reached its minimum extent for the year. Sea ice extent for September 18 averaged 4.67 million square kilometers (1.80 million square miles)—ranked tenth lowest in the satellite record along with 2017 and 2018.


— Credit:
NSIDC / NASA Earth Observatory

Please note that the Arctic sea ice extent number is preliminary—continued melt conditions could still push the ice extent lower. NSIDC will issue a formal announcement at the beginning of October with full analysis of the possible causes behind this year’s ice conditions, interesting aspects of the melt season, the set up going into the winter growth season ahead, and graphics comparing this year to the long-term record.

NSIDC is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The NSIDC Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis is supported in part by NASA.

For more details and images, please see NSIDC’s Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis.

View the NASA visualization