Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extent

Area of ocean with at least 15% sea ice (millions of square kilometers). Click on the buttons below to switch between the data for the Arctic and Antarctic:

Arctic   Antarctic  

The area shaded in grey is the interdecile range, a measure of statistical dispersion that is the difference between the first and ninth deciles (10% and 90%). It is a measure of variability based on dividing a database into 10 equal parts. For example, 90% of values are below the 90th percentile.
Source: US National Snow and Ice Data Centre