Global Sea Ice Sets New January Record Low at Both Poles, with Unusually High Surface Air Temperatures

News Briefing: 6 February 2023

In January 2023, Arctic sea ice reached its second lowest extent for this time of year in the satellite record; while Antarctic sea ice extent remained at record-breaking lows throughout the month. It is almost unprecedented to have both polar regions simultaneously experiencing record- or near-record lows of sea ice extent. Weather variability and strengthening trends in sea ice loss due to rising global temperatures contributed to this occurrence. The record low for Arctic sea ice coverage during January was set five years ago in 2018. Last month, Arctic sea ice winter regrowth slowed and unexpectedly began to decline, with the most pronounced lows occurring in the Barents Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Air temperatures were 6°C above average near Svalbard and averaged 1-5°C higher than expected over nearly the entire Arctic Ocean. At the other pole, Antarctica endured particularly low sea ice across the Amundsen, Bellingshausen, Weddell, and Ross Seas, and along the Wilkes Land coast in East Antarctica. Air temperatures there were 1-2°C higher than average throughout the summer. In addition, warm ocean waters just below the surface have been decreasing Antarctic sea ice for the past several years, and last month a combination of these factors reduced the January sea ice extent below the previous record set in 2017.

http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2023/02/arctic-sea-ice-low-antarctic-lower/