Indicator
Arctic and Baltic sea ice
Description
- Arctic sea ice is declining rapidly. Since 1979, the Arctic has lost, on average, an area of 76,000 km2 of sea ice per year in summer and 32,000 km2 per year in winter. The Arctic summer sea ice area in 2020 was the second lowest ever. Arctic sea ice is also getting younger and thinner. A nearly ice-free Arctic sea in summer is projected to be a rare event for 1.5°C of global warming but the norm for 2.5°C of warming.
- The maximum sea ice extent in the Baltic Sea shows a decreasing trend since about 1800 and reached its lowest value ever in winter 2019/20. This decreasing trend is projected to continue.
Reference information
Source:
EEA
Published in Climate-ADAPT Jun 07 2016 - Last Modified in Climate-ADAPT Feb 04 2023