#sea ice

All articles tagged with "sea ice"

Digging for clues about the North Pole’s past

Arctic Seafloor Cores Could Clarify When the North Pole Last Lost Its Summer Ice

A Norwegian-German expedition is drilling into Arctic seabed sediments to learn whether the North Pole was ice-free during past warm periods, a question with direct bearing on climate projections.

Key Takeaways

Researchers traveled to the central Arctic in 2025 aboard the Kronprins Haakon.
The expedition collected seafloor sediment cores up to 22 meters long.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 21, 2026·via technologyreview.com

Why Antarctica's Sea Ice Reversal After 2016 Has Scientists Looking Below the Surface

A new PNAS study links Antarctica’s abrupt sea ice decline after 2015 to a reversal in ocean conditions, with under-ice observations showing how trapped subsurface heat was suddenly released.

Key Takeaways

A new PNAS study uses nearly two decades of under-ice Argo float data to explain Antarctica’s sea ice reversal.
Surface freshening from precipitation helped sea ice expand by trapping warmer water below.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 19, 2026·via cleantechnica.com

Low ice in the Barents Sea helped pull the Arctic to a record-tied seasonal peak

NASA says patches of open water and thin sea ice in the Barents Sea contributed to the Arctic’s unusually low maximum sea ice extent in March 2026.

Key Takeaways

NASA tied low Arctic winter ice to conditions in the Barents Sea.
The 2026 maximum matched the lowest in the satellite record.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 3, 2026·via science.nasa.gov