Daily global sea ice extent, which combines the sea ice extents in both polar regions, reached a new all-time minimum in early February and remained below the previous record of February 2023 for the rest of the month.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission with funding from the EU, routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air and sea temperatures, sea ice cover and hydrological variables.
Diminished start for global sea ice in 2025
This latest climate bulletin noted that Arctic sea ice had reached its lowest monthly extent for February, at 8% below average marking the third consecutive month in which the sea ice extent has set a record for the corresponding month. The report stressed that this was not an all-time minimum though, as Arctic sea ice is currently approaching its annual maximum extent, which typically occurs in March.
On the other side of the world, Antarctic sea ice also recorded a troubling trend number, reaching its fourth-lowest monthly extent for February, at 26% below average. Confirmation of whether this minimum would be the second-lowest in the satellite record will again only be possible as March continues. It is worth remembering that most of the reported findings are based on the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world. The lowest February extent on record occurred in 2023, at 33% below average, which also marked the all-time minimum for Antarctic sea ice extent.
Global sea ice appears to off to the poorest start this year, as can be seen from the dark blue line above, tracking the difference between 2025 and the last four decades. According to Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at ECMWF:
“February 2025 continues the streak of record or near-record temperatures observed throughout the last two years. One of the consequences of a warmer world is melting sea ice, and the record or near-record low sea ice cover at both poles has pushed global sea ice cover to an all-time minimum.”
Marine ecology in danger
Dr Rob Larter, marine geophysicist working at British Antarctic Survey, told Yorkshire Bylines:
“The results from C3S showing that global sea ice extent reached a new all-time minimum in February highlight the substantial effects climate change is having in polar regions and are a cause for serious concern. These results are consistent with independent analysis from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the US. Sea ice has an important climate feedback effect because of its high ‘albedo’, reflecting a large proportion of incident solar radiation back into space.
“It also plays an important role in the ecology of the polar oceans and helps protect floating ice shelves in Antarctica, which buttress the ice sheet, by suppressing ocean swell. Furthermore, brine rejection during seasonal formation of sea ice is a key process in the formation of dense water masses that sink to the depths of the ocean and are critical to driving the global overturning thermohaline circulation.”
Larter also commented on the lack of signs of significant new sea ice formation this year.
“The near-record low in Antarctic sea-ice extent follows on from extents in the previous two years that were the lowest in the period over which satellite records have been available, and extends the run of years with low minimum sea ice extents that started with a steep decline in 2016. Antarctic sea-ice extent has usually started to grow again before the end of February as the days get shorter in the Southern Ocean, but this year several days into March the data show no sign of significant new sea ice formation.”
Impact on the UK of diminished global sea ice
Any threats to the temperature, density and sea ice formation at the poles need to be taken seriously, as they could impact the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, or Amoc. The UK’s infrastructure and society is not prepared for a significantly weaker or slower Amoc system, which could bring shockingly cold temperatures to the UK and northern Europe.
This is a particular concern, as the Copernicus Climate Change Service bulletin yesterday also highlighted that rising surface air temperatures continue in their long running record of being over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“February 2025 was the 19th month in a 20-month period for which the global-average surface air temperature was more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
Rising temperatures therefore, don’t just bring heat. They bring an untold range of climate extremes and impacts for which societies are not prepared. Whether this is in the UK or abroad, we are not yet seeing the drastic climate action needed to mitigate against the worst of the impacts. Instead, the ‘business as usual’ capitalist narrative appears to be continuing unchecked.
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