Absence of sea ice in Svalbard, Norway
Arctic sea ice extent remained below average during December 2025, with particularly reduced ice coverage observed northeastern of the Svalbard archipelago. This area showed a notable absence of sea ice, reflecting broader anomalous conditions across the Arctic.
According to the climate bulletin published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, December 2025 was the fifth-warmest December globally on record. Arctic sea ice extent for December 2025 was 9% below average, ranking as the lowest extent in the satellite record for the month.
These conditions are illustrated by this Copernicus Sentinel-1 image, acquired on 14 January 2026, which clearly shows open water northeastern of the Svalbard archipelago.
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