00:00Arctic sea ice covered just 4.6 million square kilometers at its 2026 minimum.
00:05NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center say this ties for the 10th lowest extent
00:11since satellite records began in 1978.
00:14The ice shrinks each summer and grows back in winter,
00:18but the overall trend shows less ice now than decades ago.
00:21Since 2007, every summer has ranked among the 20 lowest minimums recorded.
00:26Yet the past decade's minimums have been relatively steady,
00:30partly due to increased cloud cover slowing the melt.
00:33Meanwhile, the ice that remains is thinner and younger.
00:36With less multi-year ice surviving through seasons, winter ice is also shrinking.
00:41With March 2026 tying for the lowest maximum on record,
00:45scientists say natural variability plays a role.
00:48But long-term decline matches rising global temperatures.
00:51The Arctic could be ice-free in summer at least once before mid-century.
00:55Disclosure.
00:57This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
