{"id":2716,"date":"2026-10-13T00:44:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-13-antarctic-sea-ice-maximum-en\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T17:35:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:35:58","slug":"2026-10-13-antarctic-sea-ice-maximum-en","status":"publish","type":"briefing","link":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/briefing\/2026-10-13-antarctic-sea-ice-maximum-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Antarctic winter sea ice peaks at 17.59 million km\u00b2, the third-lowest satellite maximum"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-10-13 00:44 KST<\/strong><\/p>\n

A map presented by NASA on 12 October puts Antarctica\u2019s 2026 winter sea ice maximum at about 17.59 million km\u00b2, the third lowest in the satellite record.<\/p>\n

This is ocean ice extent on 14 September, not the volume of Antarctic land glaciers or ice melted on 12 October.<\/p>\n

Separate the map\u2019s publication from its observation<\/h2>\n

NASA and NSIDC estimate that the annual peak occurred on 14 September. NSIDC provisionally described it on 23 September; NASA presented the map and historical context on 12 October. Publication is not a new measurement date. An earlier ONEPRESS Arctic-minimum article briefly mentioned the Antarctic value; this article explains the Antarctic winter maximum\u2019s measurement and comparison.<\/p>\n

Extent is not a sum of ice alone<\/h2>\n

The metric counts satellite grid areas with at least 15% ice concentration. It includes open water inside qualifying areas, rather than summing only individual ice pieces. It does not reveal thickness or volume. NASA describes passive microwave sensors distinguishing emissions from ice and open water. Their ability to see through clouds supports repeated observations in poor weather.<\/p>\n

\"Antarctic
This AI-generated illustration explains the topic; it is not a photograph or an exact reconstruction of real people, sites, experiments, specimens or official documents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A southern maximum differs from a northern minimum<\/h2>\n

Antarctica is land surrounded by ocean, allowing winter sea ice to expand outward. It normally peaks in September and reaches its minimum in February. The Arctic is near its summer minimum in September, so the seasonal meanings differ. Third lowest compares Antarctic winter maxima across years; it does not rank all Antarctic ice or identify an all-time minimum.<\/p>\n

A ranking cannot establish a single cause<\/h2>\n

Antarctic sea ice varies substantially between years, with low levels persisting recently. The independent commentary checks the same NSIDC data rather than supplying new satellite measurements or experimental replication. Winds and ocean conditions must also be examined to assess causes. NSIDC updates and NASA\u2019s long-term maps are the next checks. NSIDC cautions that fluctuations around the seasonal peak can delay confident identification of the maximum.<\/p>\n

Primary source and independent checks<\/h2>\n

Primary source: date, results and method: NASA Earth Observatory<\/a><\/p>\n

Primary source: date, results and method: NSIDC<\/a><\/p>\n

Independent check: announcement, measurements and scope: Global Climate Risks<\/a><\/p>\n

Read in other languages<\/h2>\n

\ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4<\/a> \u00b7 English<\/a> \u00b7 Espa\u00f1ol<\/a> \u00b7 \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e<\/a> \u00b7 Ti\u1ebfng Vi\u1ec7t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is ocean ice extent on 14 September, not the volume of Antarctic land glaciers or ice melted on 12 October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"class_list":["post-2716","briefing","type-briefing","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing\/2716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/briefing"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/briefing"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onepress.co.kr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}