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.
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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20
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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In 2026, the Arctic winter sea-ice extent (annual maximum extent) reached the lowest value since satellite observations began in 1979, following the previous record low in March 2025. As part of the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability ...
Earth Sciences
May 4, 2026
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90
Polar bears are intensely curious animals. That curiosity often brings them into contact with people and can put both species at risk from one another.
Plants & Animals
May 1, 2026
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33
In 1902, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott spotted a large group of large black and white birds at Ross Island, Antarctica. This was among the many milestones of Scott's famous Discovery expedition: the first breeding ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 15, 2026
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A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since February 8, 2026. In this key region for global ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 8, 2026
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