Victim of climate change, both at the North and South Poles, the ice cap reached a sad record in February.
Year after year, the ice cap continues to shrink. In February, the cumulative ice cover around both poles reached a new historical minimum. The three months corresponding to the Northern Hemisphere’s winter (December-February) were nearly as warm as last year’s record, according to the monthly bulletin from the European Copernicus Observatory.
« February 2025 follows the trend of record or near-record temperatures observed over the past two years, » due to global warming, states Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in a press release.
« One of the consequences of a warmer world is the melting of sea ice, » leading « the global ice cap extent to an historic minimum, » she adds. On February 7, « a new record low was reached for the cumulative ice cover » around the Arctic and Antarctic, according to Copernicus.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
The Antarctic ice cap is 26% smaller than its seasonal average during the austral summer. The ice cap naturally melts in the summer (currently in Antarctica) and reforms in the winter (Arctic), but at progressively smaller rates.
The planet is entering its third consecutive year of historically high temperatures, after 2024 became the hottest year ever recorded, surpassing the 2023 record.
February 2025 is « only » the third hottest February on record, but still remains exceptional, 1.5°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, highlights Copernicus. In the oceans, the sea surface temperature was the second-highest ever recorded for February, with a global average of 20.88°C.
Source: 20minutes
