Arctic sea ice extent has continued to decline since 1979, when satellites were first used to measure polar sea ice extent, while Antarctic sea ice extent has fluctuated considerably. Prior to this, Antarctic sea ice had refreshed the smallest area in 2017, about 2.11 million square kilometers. The Antarctic sea ice extent then continued to increase until it returned to average levels again in 2020 and declined rapidly. Researchers at NSIDC said the dramatic reduction in sea ice extent was partly due to strong winds pushing sea ice in Antarctica's Ross Sea to warmer regions at lower latitudes. At present, researchers are not sure how the Antarctic sea ice extent will change in the future. But climatologists believe that climate change will lead to a reduction in Antarctic sea ice in the long run.
