The worst January on record: global sea ice levels have dropped to a historic low.

In recent years, scientists have increasingly warned about the climate crisis looming over the planet: as a result, the world is facing unprecedented heatwaves and droughts, while the planet inexorably loses its ice caps. A new study reveals even more alarming findings: global sea ice has dropped to a new record low level, reports IFLScience.

The level of Antarctic sea ice had remained relatively stable until 2016, but has since seen a sharp decline. According to the new analysis, the planet currently has less sea ice than ever before, with unusually high temperatures observed in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. This has led to massive melting around the South Pole, while the North simply isn't freezing as it should at this time of year.

The authors of the study utilized data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the United States. The team calculated that the total area of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic five days prior to February 13 was 15.76 million square kilometers. Unfortunately, this is significantly lower than the previous record low of 15.93 million square kilometers, which was set during a five-day period from January to February 2023.

The alarmingly low overall figure reflects the fact that measurements of Arctic sea ice concluded 2024 at the lowest levels recorded in December. Subsequently, the current year began with the second-worst January in recorded history, and the total freezing area is currently about 0.2 million square kilometers less than the previous February minimum.

At the same time, on the other side of the planet, the record for surface melting of the Antarctic ice sheet was broken several times this summer, with new milestones reached in December and January. Previous studies indicated that the cause of such extensive melting was due to abnormal temperatures over the Antarctic ice sheet, where temperatures remained approximately 1°C above average throughout the second half of 2024.

Another study also indicated that warm conditions in the Southern Ocean and changes in wind patterns may accelerate ice loss, and help explain why Antarctic sea ice is now approaching its record low level set in 2023. This event was expected to occur roughly once every 2000 years; however, anthropogenic climate change now threatens to turn this anomaly into the norm.

Observations show that January 2025 has already become the hottest month on record, and in 2024, the planet surpassed the terrifying threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history. At the beginning of February, temperatures at the North Pole were about 20°C higher than expected, contributing to the slow freezing this winter.

Even more concerning is that the low level of sea ice could trigger a vicious cycle due to the albedo effect, which refers to the tendency of bright surfaces to reflect sunlight back into space. As the white sea ice diminishes, the darker parts of the ocean become increasingly exposed, absorbing more solar radiation. All of this leads to an intensification of global warming.