The extent of polar ice in the Arctic Ocean shrank in the winter of 2025 to its smallest extent since measurements began in 1979.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that the maximum extent of the Arctic Ocean's ice cover was the smallest in 2025 in over four decades, renewing the record eight years ago.Scientists at JAXA and the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) use a ‘Shizuku’ satellite to monitor the Arctic ice.Measurements show that the ice coverage for this year reached the maximum at 13.79 million square kilometers on Mar. 20, 2025.The figure was 130,000 square kilometers smaller than the previous record in 2017, and the smallest on record based on data available from 1979.A map provided by the report showed that the sea ice extent in 2017 was significantly lower than 2012 levels and the average for the second decade of the 21st century.The 2025 ice extent line was also found to be even smaller than 2017. While 2017's average was lower, the 2025 ice extent was 130,000 square kilometers lower, making it the smallest since 1979.JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said that this is related to climate change, expressing fear that it will affect the weather and marine environment.
