Sea ice concentration is a quantitative geophysical parameter describing the fraction of a given ocean surface area covered by sea ice, typically expressed as a percentage or a unitless value between 0 and 1. It is derived from satellite remote sensing (e.g., passive microwave, SAR, optical sensors) or in situ observations using algorithms that discriminate ice from open water based on radiometric or spectral signatures. Sea ice concentration is fundamental for characterizing polar climate systems, validating sea-ice and coupled climate models, estimating surface heat and momentum fluxes, and supporting operational navigation, data assimilation, and reanalysis of cryospheric conditions.
New analysis shows that a "pause" in Arctic winter sea ice decline seen in the early 2020s has ended following record lows in 2025 and early 2026. The study, led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 20, 2026
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A floating research station resembling a giant aluminum igloo on Sunday set out from France to begin a long-term mission in the Arctic that will see it drift with the polar ice in one of the most hostile environments.
Earth Sciences
Jul 20, 2026
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Antarctic sea ice plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate. It reflects sunlight back into space, insulates the ocean from the atmosphere, and supports unique polar ecosystems.
Environment
Jun 12, 2026
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Picture sea ice in your mind. You probably imagine brilliant white, snow-covered floes floating on the surface of the ocean, home to penguins in the south of the globe or polar bears in the north.
Environment
Jun 9, 2026
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Many rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean north of the Arctic Circle—including the Lena in Siberia and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The deltas of these large and small rivers store large amounts of carbon, which is bound there ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 3, 2026
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Research led by Professor Michelle LaRue from the School of Earth and Environment at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) published in Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation shows that high-resolution ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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Using old satellite radar techniques, scientists have developed a new way of measuring the true extent of an understudied and crucial region of the Antarctic sea-ice system for the first time. The Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) ...
Earth Sciences
May 28, 2026
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According to NOAA, the global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rate at which the sea level is rising is increasing, threatening coastal cities and ecosystems around the world.
For decades, Antarctica seemed to defy global warming. Since satellites began monitoring the poles in the late 1970s, the seasonal growth and retreat of Antarctic sea ice—frozen seawater that expands around the continent ...
Earth Sciences
May 11, 2026
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Antarctica is being ravaged by a triple-whammy of climate chaos that has melted sea ice to record lows, a new study has revealed. For decades, the frozen wilderness at the bottom of the world defied global warming trends, ...
Earth Sciences
May 8, 2026
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