Antarctic Sea Ice Grows to Its 2026 Maximum
Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Antarctic Sea Ice Grows to Its… Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent on September 14, 2026—the third-lowest maximum in the satellite record. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison This story is an update to the Antarctic sea ice feature in our World of Change series tracking long-term change on Earth’s surface through satellite imagery. Unlike the Arctic—an ocean basin surrounded by land—the Antarctic is a large continent surrounded by an ocean. Because of this geog...