Earth and climate
Sentinel-3 captures West Antarctica sea ice at its winter peak
An image of West Antarctica acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite on 30 September 2026 shows the sea ice at the peak of its winter extent.
In brief
ESA has published in the Earth from Space series an image of West Antarctica captured by Sentinel-3 on 30 September 2026, with the ice pack at its winter maximum surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula and part of the Weddell Sea.
Key points
- Copernicus Sentinel-3 acquired the image of West Antarctica on 30 September 2026.
- The frame covers about 1200 km by 1700 km at the periphery of the continent, which is about 4500 km wide in its main mass.
- Antarctic sea ice probably reached its annual peak on 14 September 2026 according to the NSIDC.
- Elephant Island, about 50 km long, lies about 930 km from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
- The textures of the image distinguish compact ice pack, floes as large as the island and swirls of smaller fragments.
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite acquired an image of West Antarctica on 30 September 2026. It shows the sea ice at the peak of its winter extent. The shot was published by ESA in the Earth from Space series, dedicated to views of the planet from orbit. It portrays the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula wrapped in sea ice and a portion of the Weddell Sea, east of the peninsula. It is not an artistic rendering: from the clouds to the ice swirls, everything was recorded directly by the instrument.
An image from orbit: what Sentinel-3 shows over West Antarctica
The Earth from Space acquisition covers an area of about 1200 km by 1700 km, at the periphery of the Antarctic continent. To give a sense of scale: the main mass of the continent measures about 4500 km in diameter. The frame therefore captures a peripheral strip where the sea ice meets the open ocean.
At the center of the image lies the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, with some cloud cover. In the lower part, a band of white clouds covers much of the territory. In the upper right area, the sea ice remains clearly visible despite the cloud cover.
The annual maximum of the sea ice
The shot falls at a particular moment of the year: the end of winter in the southern hemisphere. At that time the sea ice around the continent reaches its maximum annual extent. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the US reference center for ice monitoring, the peak of the winter season was probably reached on 14 September 2026. The estimate concerns the entire Antarctic ice pack, not just the framed area.
At that moment the ice pack pushes farthest from the continent and incorporates ocean areas that become free again in summer. In the image the ice wraps the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and part of the Weddell Sea, the sea east of the peninsula.
Elephant Island and the textures of the ice
On the left side of the frame stands out Elephant Island, about 50 km long, rising above an ice-free ocean. The island lies about 930 km from Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina, which does not appear in the image. The distance gives a measure of the space between Antarctica and the southern tip of South America.
The different textures of the ice tell of different ocean conditions. On the right, areas of very compact ice pack can be recognized, with the floes pressed tightly against each other. Elsewhere, floes as large as Elephant Island itself are visible, meaning blocks tens of kilometers across. These continue into ever smaller pieces arranged in spirals that trace the movements of the water.
Why Earth from Space publishes West Antarctica
ESA’s Earth from Space series makes satellite images available together with an explanation. This shot shows the public a phenomenon that is hard to observe from the ground: the winter ice pack surrounding Antarctica. The series publication took place on 16 October 2026, shortly after the acquisition.
The full image can be viewed in high resolution on the ESA Earth from Space: West Antarctica page. Visitors can zoom in on the details of the sea ice and clouds there. For those following sea ice monitoring, comparing this view with NSIDC data offers a concrete example of how the satellites of the Copernicus program document the continent’s winter season.
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