Need-to-Know: The world’s sea-ice cover has melted to a historic low

The Arctic’s ice cover has dropped to a record low this winter. It was 1.31 million square kilometers (506,000 square miles) below the 1981–2010 average. Arctic sea ice has permanently shrunk by over 60% and continues to decline year on year.

The same thing is happening in Antarctica.

Antarctica’s sea-ice area was stable until about 2016, when it went into a steep decline. By July 2023, 2.77 million sq km of ice were missing compared to normal.

Polar scientists now believe that the Antarctic sea ice has likely shifted into a new regime of unstoppable meltdown, just like the Arctic.

Need-to-Know: We’re losing the Earth’s air conditioners

Arctic sea ice extent at end of winter (April 22, 2025.)

Need-to-Know: The polar regions keep the Earth from overheating.

All that ice and snow reflects the Sun’s energy back into space. However, as vast areas of sea ice melt away, these white landscapes are turning dark blue, allowing the sun to heat up the Arctic and Southern oceans.

The polar regions are now absorbing enormous amounts of solar energy and heating up. The temperature differential between the cold polar regions and the hot tropics, along with the oceans, drives the global weather system.

The sea ice loss and resulting increase in solar-energy absorption at the poles is a planetary-scale regime shift.

Need-to-Know: Weather patterns are already being disrupted.

For example, the polar jet stream is slowing down and meandering, atmospheric blocking events that prolong heatwaves or cold spells are increasing, and the polar vortex is being disrupted more frequently.

Our weather is, and will become, even more extreme. This is our new physical reality.

Depressing right? So, what do you and I do knowing all this?

I go for lots of walks and enjoy being outside.
You and I can talk about what we see outside, and how the seasons and the weather are changing.
We can acknowledge significant changes are underway and that we’re collectively responsible.
We can consider what these changes mean for our families, children, grandchildren, and future generations.
You and I can take actions that feel right for each of us. We can reduce our use of cars, join a group, eat less meat, march in a climate protest, run for public office, grow vegetables, naturalize our yards, or any number of other things.

The important thing is to do something. Otherwise, our anxiety and worry about the future will consume us, and that won’t help anyone.

Until next time, be safe.

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Polar Melt Down