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Antarctic sea ice at its winter peak: ESA’s Sentinel-3 image shows ice engulfing the tip of the Peninsula

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Antarctic sea ice is at its yearly maximum, and a new Earth from Space image released by the European Space Agency (ESA) on 16 October 2026 shows it wrapping around the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The picture was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite on 30 September 2026, as winter was ending in the southern hemisphere.

Antarctic sea ice: Sea ice around the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, seen by Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 30 September 2026
Sea ice around the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, seen by Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 30 September 2026 Photo: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO).

What the Antarctic sea ice image shows

The image covers an area of about 1,200 km by 1,700 km on the edge of the Antarctic continent, which is about 4,500 km across its main landmass, ESA said. Sea ice reaches as far as the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the centre of the frame and covers part of the Weddell Sea to the east. Elephant Island, about 50 km long, stands out against ice-free ocean on the left. It lies about 930 km from the tip of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego, which is outside the picture. White cloud covers much of the lower half, while tightly packed ice and smaller swirling floes show in the upper right. Large floes about the size of Elephant Island break up into much smaller pieces that form swirling shapes in the ocean.

Key Facts

  • Image: Copernicus Sentinel-3, 30 Sep 2026
  • Area shown: about 1,200 x 1,700 km
  • 2026 maximum: 14 Sep, about 17.59 million sq km (NSIDC)
  • Ranking: third-lowest maximum on record
  • Landmark: Elephant Island, about 50 km long

NSIDC data on the 2026 maximum

Sea ice for Antarctica’s winter season most likely peaked on 14 September 2026, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), which ESA cites. NSIDC put the maximum at about 17.59 million square kilometres, which it said is the third-lowest maximum in the satellite record. NASA’s Earth Observatory also reported the 2026 peak. Antarctic sea ice grows each winter as the ocean around the continent freezes and shrinks again in summer, so the yearly maximum is one of the key numbers scientists track. Several recent winters have produced low peaks, a pattern that researchers are studying closely. Carbon Brief described this year’s peak as part of a run of ‘concerning’ low sea ice around the continent.

Why Copernicus Sentinel-3 watches the poles

Sentinel-3 is part of Europe’s Copernicus programme and carries instruments that measure the colour and temperature of the sea and land surface. Images like this help scientists follow how ice forms, breaks up and drifts, which matters for ocean circulation, weather and the animals that depend on the ice. ESA publishes the images under an open licence, so researchers, teachers and the public can use them. Because sea ice reflects sunlight back to space, a smaller ice cover means the ocean absorbs more heat, which is why changes around Antarctica are watched closely by climate scientists around the world.

Why It Matters: Less sea ice lets the Southern Ocean absorb more heat, which can affect ocean currents and weather far from Antarctica.

Also on TrendDesh: El Nino 2026: NASA satellites track what may be the strongest El Nino since 1950 · Hurricane Isaias: NASA night images show lights going out across Florida Panhandle, then returning

Source: ESA · NSIDC · NASA Earth Observatory · Carbon Brief

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