ESA publishes Sentinel-3 view of West Antarctica as winter sea ice nears its annual maximum

16 October 2026

The European Space Agency published an image of part of West Antarctica captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 30 September 2026. At this time of year winter is coming to an end in the southern hemisphere and the sea ice is at its annual maximum extent, reaching as far as the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, which is visible in the central part of the image. The image shows an area of about 1200 km by 1700 km on the periphery of the Antarctic continent, whose main landmass is about 4500 km across. Elephant Island, about 50 km in length, is clearly visible against ice-free ocean on the left-hand side of the image and lies about 930 km from the tip of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, sea ice for Antarctica's winter season most likely peaked on 14 September 2026. The image shows sea ice engulfing the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula as well as part of the Weddell Sea to the east of the peninsula, with a variety of textures reflecting different types of ice, including tightly packed sea ice and large floes comparable in size to Elephant Island that break down into smaller pieces forming swirling shapes in the ocean.