Jump to content Jump to footer
Install App

Install this app on your device for a better experience.

News overview

List of news

Logo of the CONTRASTS Expedition

CONTRASTS: Expedition will explore the melting Arctic sea ice

Polarstern expedition to depart from Tromsø, Norway on 2 July to investigate the Arctic sea ice of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Difference in the mean position of the ice margin in May 2025, compared to the long-term mean.

Rapid spring melting of Arctic sea ice

The Arctic sea-ice extent decreased substantially in May, while warm air slowed new-ice formation in many parts of the Antarctic.

Sea Ice Portal’s visualisation tool updated: New GIS viewer and extended features

The Sea Ice Portal now features a new GIS viewer and expanded GeoTIFF downloads for enhanced data visualisation and analysis.

Mean air pressure anomalies in the Arctic in April 2025, measured at sea level.

Wind, heat and gyres: The sea-ice development in April

The weather determines the sea-ice situation – no matter the season. But in April, this influence was especially apparent.

A yellow, spherical buoyancy float, part of an oceanographic mooring equipped with ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers), is being recovered from the water.
© Mario Hoppmann/Alfred Wegener Institute
© Mario Hoppmann/Alfred Wegener Institute

Insights on the polar seas: moorings for long-term observation

The Sea Ice Portal offers an interesting glimpse into the world of long-term oceanographic monitoring stations, also known as “moorings”.

Difference in the mean position of the ice margin in the Arctic in March 2025, compared to the long-term mean for the years 2003 – 2014.

Lowest Arctic winter sea-ice extent in 46 years

Lower sea-ice cover in various regions of the Arctic Ocean leads to a new record-low maximum winter ice extent.

Air temperature anomalies in February 2025 compared to the long-term February mean for 1971 – 2000.

Far below the trend

Since the beginning of satellite observations, there has never been a February with as little sea ice in the Arctic as this year.

Though delicate, platelet ice can measure up to palm size.
© Mario Hoppmann, AWI
© Mario Hoppmann, AWI

Improved conditions in the south, but more of the same in the north

In both the Arctic and Antarctic, the sea ice developed as expected in January. New: A distribution map of the platelet ice in Atka Bay.

Weather station with Starlink connection (Gen2 antenna with motor) on the roof of the Technical Centre in Bremerhaven.
© Alfred Wegener Institut, Martin Schiller
© Alfred Wegener Institut, Martin Schiller

New Dimensions in Transferring Data from the Sea Ice

A quantum leap in data transfers from autonomous monitoring systems (buoys).

Helping users navigate sea-ice data: Data portal introduces new structure

New data portal at the Sea Ice Portal: Clearer, more informative and user-friendly.