Antarktika Buzulları 2026’da Maksimum Seviyeye Ulaştı: Üçüncü Düşük Değer Tabloda

Συντάκτης / Επιμελητής: Eren Yalçın•12 October 2026

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The NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) report that Antarctic sea ice is likely to reach its annual maximum on September 14, 2026. At that time, the ice cover is expected to reach approximately 17.59 million square kilometers (6.79 million square miles), which is the third lowest maximum on record since satellite observations began. According to a NASA Earth Observatory report, Antarctic sea ice typically reaches its maximum in September, at the end of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, and reaches its minimum in February. Unlike the North Pole, which is a sea basin surrounded by land, Antarctica is a large landmass surrounded by an ocean; this geographical feature provides more space for the sea ice to expand during the winter. However, at the same time, the ice sheets extend further toward warmer latitudes, leading to more melting in the summer. The article is an updated version of the Antarctic sea ice topic in the World of Change series, which is produced in collaboration with the NSIDC and uses satellite imagery to monitor long-term changes on Earth’s surface.

Current data show that total Antarctic sea ice has increased by about 1% per year from 1979 to 2014. But is this increase a sign of a meaningful change? After all, the ice cover around Antarctica varies greatly from year to year. In 2012-2014, three consecutive years of record-breaking maximum winter sea ice by satellites occurred during a period when Arctic ice sheets were in a steep decline.

To determine the ice area, scientists rely on satellites equipped with passive microwave sensors that measure the microwave energy naturally emitted by the Earth. Sea ice emits more of this energy than open water, so it stands out in microwave images. Microwaves pass through clouds, so satellites can observe sea ice regularly, regardless of weather conditions. The records began with data collected by NASA’s Nimbus-7 satellite in late 1978; then, from 1987, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, and from 2002 to 2011, NASA’s Aqua satellite. In 2025, scientists began using observations from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s GCOM-W satellite.