Movie of Yearly Changes in Sea Ice around the North Pole

Images courtesy the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Animation by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell).

This movie shows how the sea ice around the North Pole changes from season to season throughout the year. During the winter the cold temperatures freeze more and more of the water in the Arctic Ocean. The sea ice pack gets bigger and bigger. When is there the most sea ice? There is usually a lot of sea ice in early spring, right after winter ends, around March.

In late spring the weather gets warmer. The sea ice starts to melt. All through the summer more and more of the ice melts. When is there the least sea ice? Since a lot of ice melts in the summer, there is usually much less sea ice in early fall around September, right after the end of summer.

The freezing and melting of the sea ice happens year after year. It is one of the cycles that come with the changing seasons.

This movie shows seven years of this cycle, from January 2002 through December 2008.

(Note: If you cannot see the movie you may need to download the latest QuickTime player.)

If you want to see more movies and pictures of sea ice, go to the NSIDC web site to:

Last modified February 23, 2009 by Randy Russell.

You might also be interested in:

Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Sea Ice in the Arctic and Antarctic

Sea ice is frozen seawater. It floats on the oceans that are in Earth's polar regions. The salt in the seawater does not freeze. Very salty water gets trapped in the sea ice when it forms. The pockets...more

What Causes the Seasons?

The Earth's orbit is in the shape of an ellipse (a stretched out circle), so that sometimes the Earth is closer to the Sun than at other times. Is this the cause of the seasons? You can imagine that if...more

Polar Oceans

The oceans that are in the polar regions are a bit different from other oceans on Earth. There is often sea ice at the surface, especially during the winter months. And those chilly waters are home to...more

Resources for Teaching About the Poles and the Cryosphere

Windows to the Universe and other educational programs of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Office of Education and Outreach invite you to explore Earth's polar regions with your students...more

Polar Games and Activities

Dive into one of our new polar activities or games! Animation showing Yearly Changes of Sea Ice in the Arctic Animation showing Yearly Changes of Sea Ice in the Antarctic Compare Pictures of Arctic Sea...more

Climate Change Teacher Resources

Many educators are now finding opportunities to teach about Earth's climate and climate change in their classrooms.  Windows to the Universe provides an interlinked learning ecosystem to a wealth of resources...more

Altocumulus

Altocumulus clouds are part of the Middle Cloud group. They are grayish-white with one part of the cloud darker than the other. Altocumulus clouds usually form in groups. Altocumulus clouds are about...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA