Sea Ice

ocean · polar regions · frozen water · climate

Floats on water. Sea ice forms when seawater freezes, and because ice is less dense than liquid water, it stays on top of the ocean instead of sinking to the bottom.

Covers massive areas. Sea ice covers about 7% of Earth's entire surface and about 12% of all the world's oceans, making it one of the biggest frozen features on our planet.

Found at the poles. Most of the world's sea ice lives in two huge frozen regions called polar ice packs, one surrounding the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole and one in the Southern Ocean at the South Pole.

Changes with seasons. Sea ice grows thicker and spreads wider during winter months, then melts back and shrinks during summer, cycling naturally every single year.