Arctic sea ice ties for 10th-lowest September extent at 4.6 million km²
NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) estimate that Arctic sea ice reached its 2026 minimum on 12 September, covering 4.6 million km²—statistically tied with 2008, 2010 and 2025 for the 10th-lowest level in the satellite record. The US National Ice Center puts the minimum at 4.77 million km², using a different dataset and method.
Bottom line — NSIDC says every September minimum since 2007 has been lower than those recorded from 1979 to 2006.
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NSIDC says the overall record shows a clear decline, while the September trend since 2007 has been near zero; it says this flattening is not a recovery.
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ScienceDaily reports that every summer from 2007 through 2026 ranks among the 20 lowest September extents; the record low was in 2012.
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ScienceDaily says multiyear ice has declined, leaving more thin first-year ice that is more vulnerable to summer melting.
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NASA researchers cited by ScienceDaily identify increased Arctic cloud cover as one factor limiting recent summer ice loss.
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The US National Ice Center says its 4.77 million km² estimate is 174,000 km² above NSIDC’s figure, reflecting different data sources and methods.
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Climate.us reports late but rapid ice loss in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas and substantial open water between Svalbard and the North Pole.