Arctic ice extent ties for seventh lowest

Alan Bailey

Petroleum News

The Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its maximum extent for this year on March 13.

On March 13 the extent of the Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its maximum level for this year, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. At 5.71 million square miles, the maximum extent approximately tied with 2007 as the seventh lowest on record since satellite observations began 40 years ago, NSIDC reported. The extent is 332,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 average maximum extent of 6.04 million square miles. The lowest maximum extent ever observed occurred on March 7, 2017, and amounted to 5.56 million square miles.

Prior to this year, the four lowest maximum extents have occurred between 2015 and 2018. However, this year’s date for the maximum extent is very close to the long-term median date, the NSIDC said.

- ALAN BAILEY