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RV Polarstern and Tara Polar Station rendezvous at the ice edge.
© Alfred Wegener Institute / Sandro Dahlke
© Alfred Wegener Institute / Sandro Dahlke

CONTRASTS in the Arctic sea ice

The first two weeks of the CONTRASTS expedition are going according to plan and the first measurements have now begun

Sea-ice concentration on the Arctic Ocean on 30 June 2025.

On the same course as in the minimum year 2012

The biggest news this month comes from the US: Staffing cuts at the US Department of Defense could jeopardise the most important time series on sea-ice development.

Tara Polar Station at the pier in Lorient (France) during outfitting.
© Marcel Nicolaus, Alfred-Wegener-Institut
© Marcel Nicolaus, Alfred-Wegener-Institut

RV Polarstern and Tara Polar Station delve into the sea ice together

The new French research vessel’s first voyage to the Arctic will coincide with the CONTRASTS expedition

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.