Arctic Sea Ice Hits Annual Minimum, Antarctic Sets New Record

Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on Sept. 19, 2023, making it the sixth-lowest year in the satellite record, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum extent on record on Sept. 10 at a time when the ice cover should have been growing at a much faster pace during the darkest and coldest months. Universal Production Music: Curiosity Instrumental by Blythe Joustra Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio Lead Producer: Grace Weikert (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) Lead Visualizer: Trent L. Schindler (USRA) Lead Writer: Sally Younger (NASA/JPL) Lead Scientist: Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC) Project support: Katie Jepson (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) Technical support: Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.) Project manager: Jefferson Beck (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) This video can be freely shared and downloaded at While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center · Instagram · Twitter · Twitter