ARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT, 2020

This map shows the Arctic sea ice at its minimum and maximum extent during 2020. The minimum extent was reached in September, while the maximum was reached towards the end of the Arctic winter in March. For comparison, the map also shows the median sea ice extent in the region over a 30-year period from 1981 to 2010. The US National Snow and Ice Data Center noted that the minimum extent in 2020 was the second lowest in the nearly 42-year satellite record.