Sea ice in Canada

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Sea ice is a prominent feature in the Northern Canadian Waters which are comprised of the Canadian Arctic domain and the Hudson Bay domain. It consists of seasonal ice that forms and melts each year (referred to as first-year ice) and ice that is present all-year round (referred to as multi-year ice). This indicator reports on the sea ice area during the summer season. The amount and type of sea ice present, and the total minimum area it covers during the summer season, impact human activity and biological habitat. Additionally, sea ice is an indicator of how the climate is changing.Footnote 1

Sea ice

National sea ice

Key results

  • In 2022, the summer sea ice area in the Northern Canadian Waters reached a low of 1.05 million square kilometres (km2), representing 27.9% of the total area (3.76 million km2)
  • Since 1968, the lowest summer sea ice area occurred in 2012 at 0.70 million km2
  • Over the period 1968 to 2022, summer sea ice area in the Northern Canadian Waters declined at a rate of 7.1% per decade

Average summer sea ice area, Northern Canadian Waters, 1968 to 2022

Average summer sea ice area, Northern Canadian Waters, 1968 to 2022 (see the long description below)
Data table for the long description
Average summer sea ice area, Northern Canadian Waters, 1968 to 2022
Year Northern Canadian Waters
(millions of square kilometres)
1968 1.26
1969 1.59
1970 1.46
1971 1.37
1972 1.66
1973 1.33
1974 1.45
1975 1.31
1976 1.46
1977 1.27
1978 1.67
1979 1.43
1980 1.40
1981 1.17
1982 1.35
1983 1.60
1984 1.47
1985 1.35
1986 1.54
1987 1.39
1988 1.26
1989 1.40
1990 1.40
1991 1.43
1992 1.63
1993 1.30
1994 1.36
1995 1.20
1996 1.51
1997 1.26
1998 0.85
1999 1.11
2000 1.24
2001 1.23
2002 1.27
2003 1.19
2004 1.37
2005 1.17
2006 0.99
2007 0.93
2008 0.90
2009 1.14
2010 0.83
2011 0.74
2012 0.70
2013 1.12
2014 1.04
2015 1.11
2016 0.79
2017 0.94
2018 1.23
2019 0.82
2020 1.04
2021 1.02
2022 1.05

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 1.28 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Sea ice area is measured during the summer season. The summer season is defined as the period from June 19 to November 19 for the Hudson Bay domain and from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Sea ice area decline in the Northern Canadian Waters is the result of a combination of factors. Human-induced warming from greenhouse gas emissions and climate variability has resulted in an unprecedented loss of sea ice over the last 50 years.Footnote 2 Footnote 3 

Arctic sea ice is very sensitive to climate change because of the sea ice-albedo feedback that influences how much solar radiation is absorbed into the sea ice-ocean system. As sea ice area declines due to warming temperatures, more dark ocean surfaces that readily absorb sunlight (solar radiation) are exposed, in turn causing more sea ice to melt. This feedback cycle is an important factor in amplifying Arctic temperatures. Research has shown that the loss of Arctic sea ice is a very significant contributor to the recent amplification of Arctic temperature change compared to the global average.Footnote 4 

Changes in the amount of sea ice, the location of ice edges and the timing of seasonal ice formation and melt have complex, cascading ecosystem impacts.Footnote 5 Sea ice declines result in a loss of wildlife habitat, as it serves as hunting platforms for polar bears and as resting grounds and nursery areas for walruses and seals. Algae that grow on the underside of sea ice are also important to the marine food supply. These changes also have an impact on the safety of northerners who use sea ice as a transportation route or platform for hunting and fishing.

Regional sea ice

In the Northern Canadian Waters, the summer sea ice area varies by sub-region. Five (5) sub-regions make up the Canadian Arctic domain (Kane Basin, Foxe Basin, Baffin Bay, the Beaufort Sea and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago) and 4 sub-regions comprise the Hudson Bay domain (Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Davis Strait and the Northern Labrador Sea). The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Beaufort Sea and Kane Basin sub-regions usually remain covered by ice in the summer because they contain a mix of multi-year and first-year ice. The 4 sub-regions of the Hudson Bay domain are typically free of sea ice in summer. 

Key results                                                               

  • All sub-regions exhibit statistically significant decreasing trends in summer sea ice area over the 1968 to 2022 period, ranging from a 3.2% decrease per decade in the Kane Basin to a 15.7% decrease per decade in the Northern Labrador Sea 

Sub-region summer sea ice area trends, Northern Canadian Waters, 1968 to 2022

Data table for the long description
Sub-region summer sea ice area trends, Northern Canadian Waters, 1968 to 2022
Year Foxe Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Kane Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Baffin Bay
(thousands of square kilometres)
Beaufort Sea
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
(thousands of square kilometres)
Hudson Bay
(thousands of square kilometres)
Hudson Strait
(thousands of square kilometres)
Davis Strait
(thousands of square kilometres)
Northern Labrador Sea
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 73 26 130 337 551 94 21 25 5
1969 79 35 168 486 569 191 25 34 5
1970 71 31 196 392 570 130 19 38 12
1971 69 32 171 402 512 109 30 31 9
1972 114 33 160 355 659 211 42 67 15
1973 62 35 137 372 520 123 30 46 5
1974 52 33 100 485 570 154 27 24 7
1975 52 34 80 479 509 107 16 25 8
1976 76 34 136 449 593 111 18 38 7
1977 71 35 209 298 514 84 15 41 6
1978 106 30 208 422 646 191 29 34 7
1979 75 33 139 337 657 127 22 36 6
1980 60 32 146 433 575 108 15 25 2
1981 40 30 125 367 465 103 14 27 2
1982 61 31 157 314 557 140 24 57 6
1983 88 35 185 476 532 158 36 81 12
1984 64 31 123 455 525 161 42 56 14
1985 55 30 84 480 511 133 27 24 10
1986 72 32 178 407 620 163 21 42 3
1987 84 26 186 288 583 155 26 32 7
1988 64 24 120 403 487 109 21 25 5
1989 78 31 174 398 526 139 19 28 5
1990 77 23 143 382 579 125 29 35 7
1991 68 30 103 483 550 120 27 33 12
1992 79 38 140 466 608 208 31 53 6
1993 67 31 210 261 524 141 21 41 4
1994 56 29 140 454 510 116 19 31 6
1995 56 25 169 299 529 94 12 14 0
1996 61 35 258 446 536 119 21 28 6
1997 47 35 156 319 570 101 15 16 3
1998 52 32 138 166 391 53 9 11 1
1999 57 30 143 344 457 36 8 26 5
2000 41 32 91 420 502 119 10 25 3
2001 56 34 102 442 519 50 5 17 1
2002 57 34 77 368 562 122 14 26 9
2003 51 30 73 357 553 97 8 17 2
2004 60 32 101 320 596 213 20 24 1
2005 40 30 111 359 548 63 10 9 1
2006 27 27 61 376 432 46 4 12 1
2007 54 24 96 244 407 76 10 18 5
2008 59 25 91 163 435 93 14 23 0
2009 52 19 69 313 504 137 16 28 6
2010 39 26 79 237 406 34 3 8 0
2011 44 22 73 192 337 59 3 6 0
2012 51 26 43 135 351 73 6 18 0
2013 57 32 67 347 501 84 9 17 5
2014 60 22 52 268 519 86 12 13 5
2015 65 32 127 265 417 139 17 43 3
2016 42 27 57 149 399 79 12 22 2
2017 43 28 96 199 472 61 9 36 0
2018 59 32 98 333 533 123 17 33 4
2019 29 20 47 162 424 112 7 17 1
2020 48 26 56 313 445 108 12 24 4
2021 52 31 63 338 464 58 7 6 0
2022 44 32 127 303 426 77 7 31 1
1968 to 2022 decadal trend -7.4% -3.2% -11.6% -7.6% -4.5% -8.8% -13.7% -11.0% -15.7%

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 3.08 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Sea ice area is measured during the summer season. The summer season is defined as the period from June 19 to November 19 for the Hudson Bay domain and from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level. 

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

In absolute terms, the largest summer sea ice area loss over the 1968 to 2022 period has occurred in the Beaufort Sea sub-region, where approximately 190 000 km2 of sea ice was lost (which corresponds to almost 4 times the land area of Nova Scotia). The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay sub-regions also lost a large amount of sea ice area over the same period, of approximately 144 000 km2, 109 000 km2 and 69 000 km2, respectively.

Each year, the minimum sea ice area is observed during the month of September. At this time of the year, all the sea ice in the Hudson Bay domain has melted. The Canadian Arctic domain’s sub-regions present statistically significant decreasing trends in average September sea ice area over the 1968 to 2022 period, except for the Kane Basin where no statistically significant trend was reported. In the Canadian Arctic, a decrease of 9.1% per decade has been observed for the September sea ice area, which is lower than the 12.3% decadal decrease observed for the entire Arctic sea ice extent.Footnote 6 Footnote 7

Sub-region September sea ice area decadal trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022

Data table for the long description
Sub-region September sea ice area decadal trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022
Year Foxe Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Kane Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Baffin Bay
(thousands of square kilometres)
Beaufort Sea
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic domain
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 31 19 31 273 455 809
1969 13 31 66 474 437 1021
1970 22 26 76 341 428 892
1971 10 32 30 342 329 743
1972 60 31 67 255 568 981
1973 16 34 29 276 373 728
1974 8 30 10 416 414 878
1975 1 33 17 512 396 959
1976 30 30 17 376 464 917
1977 21 37 73 200 403 734
1978 53 28 50 294 557 982
1979 19 29 18 208 545 819
1980 6 28 7 434 470 945
1981 0 25 14 289 322 650
1982 7 33 41 222 414 716
1983 56 34 57 465 330 941
1984 10 27 15 393 392 838
1985 5 31 3 429 334 802
1986 15 31 34 305 494 879
1987 41 25 29 254 434 783
1988 14 20 4 362 390 791
1989 19 32 26 298 360 735
1990 28 30 27 316 483 884
1991 27 24 9 461 394 916
1992 33 37 37 413 509 1030
1993 24 34 91 169 388 707
1994 5 27 19 383 362 795
1995 6 26 34 231 456 754
1996 8 35 107 401 427 977
1997 3 35 33 206 508 785
1998 4 35 19 107 171 335
1999 6 31 41 196 246 521
2000 1 33 17 273 295 619
2001 10 32 18 302 374 737
2002 5 32 14 218 388 657
2003 1 32 9 274 450 766
2004 11 30 14 226 488 769
2005 1 27 11 273 396 709
2006 0 24 11 270 266 571
2007 5 22 16 136 218 396
2008 7 25 12 105 268 417
2009 1 29 10 249 337 626
2010 0 29 16 132 240 418
2011 2 16 4 113 146 282
2012 5 22 3 19 150 199
2013 4 36 16 248 362 666
2014 5 18 4 197 385 608
2015 11 34 27 103 202 377
2016 0 26 7 32 238 303
2017 1 32 18 115 340 505
2018 11 30 16 222 398 677
2019 0 13 2 95 260 371
2020 0 25 4 201 302 534
2021 5 27 6 214 368 619
2022 1 29 20 172 216 437
1968 to 2022 decadal trend -18.5% No trend -15.4% -11.7% -7.3% -9.1%

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.42 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: The trends presented correspond to the decadal trend over the period from 1968 to 2022. The September sea ice area trend is calculated based on the average sea ice area during the month of September for each year from 1968 to 2022. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Climate projections suggest that a nearly sea ice-free summer is possible for the Arctic Ocean by the middle of the 21st century, although sea ice may persist longer in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago region.Footnote 8 

Multi-year sea ice

National multi-year sea ice

Multi-year sea ice corresponds to ice that has survived at least one summer's melt. Multi-year sea ice contains less salt and is usually thicker than first-year sea ice, making it harder and more difficult for icebreakers to navigate and clear. Considering that the sub-regions from the Hudson Bay domain are first-year ice regions that are free of multi-year ice during summer, the indicators focus on summer multi-year sea ice in the Canadian Arctic domain. 

Key results

In the Canadian Arctic domain:

  • Over the period 1968 to 2022, multi-year ice in the summer season made up between a low of 26% to a high of 51% of the total summer sea ice area 
  • The summer multi-year sea ice area has declined by 7.7% per decade over the period from 1968 to 2022
  • In 2022, the average summer multi-year sea ice area reached 438 000 km2
  • Since 1968, the lowest summer multi-year sea ice area occurred in 2012, with 207 000 km2

Average summer multi-year sea ice area, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022

Average summer multi-year sea ice area, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022 (see the long description below)
Data table for the long description
Average multi-year sea ice area, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022
Year Canadian Arctic domain
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 591
1969 648
1970 615
1971 628
1972 518
1973 667
1974 520
1975 653
1976 648
1977 512
1978 555
1979 633
1980 681
1981 492
1982 369
1983 583
1984 532
1985 502
1986 542
1987 561
1988 589
1989 545
1990 619
1991 676
1992 687
1993 606
1994 603
1995 501
1996 666
1997 620
1998 392
1999 335
2000 421
2001 577
2002 486
2003 516
2004 542
2005 557
2006 499
2007 370
2008 257
2009 351
2010 345
2011 252
2012 207
2013 292
2014 406
2015 391
2016 279
2017 302
2018 513
2019 370
2020 404
2021 472
2022 438

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 1.16 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Multi-year sea ice area is measured during the summer season. The summer season is defined as the period from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Regional multi-year sea ice

Key results

  • In the Canadian Arctic domain, statistically significant decreasing trends in the average multi-year sea ice during the summer season, were found for the Foxe Basin, Kane Basin, Beaufort Sea and Canadian Arctic Archipelago sub-regions  
  • The Baffin Bay sub-region showed no trend from 1968 to 2022

Sub-region summer multi-year sea ice area trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022

Data table for the long description
Sub-region multi-year sea ice area trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022
Year Foxe Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Kane Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Baffin Bay
(thousands of square kilometres)
Beaufort Sea
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 1.66 8 6 300 276
1969 0.46 17 23 335 273
1970 0.46 16 25 302 272
1971 0.72 22 16 347 243
1972 4.04 20 10 212 272
1973 0.96 25 10 303 329
1974 0.20 14 7 301 198
1975 0.46 16 5 394 237
1976 2.46 18 9 371 248
1977 0.16 14 15 188 294
1978 4.18 15 9 242 285
1979 5.88 15 10 217 385
1980 0.26 18 8 300 355
1981 0.35 16 18 220 237
1982 0.22 11 16 141 200
1983 3.91 20 44 261 254
1984 0.57 14 16 292 210
1985 0.43 13 2 280 206
1986 1.09 11 9 268 252
1987 0.77 13 8 195 345
1988 0.66 10 8 263 308
1989 0.24 17 10 245 273
1990 0.79 17 51 262 288
1991 1.74 6 7 348 313
1992 1.49 28 12 327 318
1993 1.41 24 60 193 327
1994 3.85 20 13 288 278
1995 0.65 17 43 209 232
1996 0.67 19 48 339 259
1997 0.23 22 22 257 319
1998 0.02 18 32 104 239
1999 0.40 13 13 206 102
2000 0.16 15 8 247 150
2001 0.03 17 12 316 232
2002 0.00 18 10 230 228
2003 0.11 14 8 232 263
2004 0.25 18 16 214 293
2005 0.39 14 7 241 295
2006 0.25 13 12 266 208
2007 0.00 13 27 163 167
2008 0.03 12 17 80 149
2009 0.06 9 10 164 168
2010 0.02 14 27 135 169
2011 0.00 12 9 111 120
2012 0.10 13 4 84 106
2013 0.17 12 5 146 129
2014 0.22 11 5 179 212
2015 0.13 15 12 191 172
2016 0.00 15 3 88 173
2017 0.04 16 14 57 215
2018 0.51 17 21 234 241
2019 0.13 13 17 101 239
2020 0.00 10 1 195 198
2021 0.06 13 4 232 223
2022 0.40 15 32 199 191
1968 to 2022 decadal trend -17.7% -4.4% No trend -9.2% -6.4%

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.20 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Multi-year sea ice area is measured during the summer season. The summer season is defined as the period from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Each year, the minimum multi-year sea ice area is observed during the month of September. A decrease in the average September multi-year sea ice in the Canadian Arctic was observed over the 1968 to 2022 period, with a reduction of 9.0% per decade. All sub-regions of the Canadian Arctic domain exhibited statistically significant decreasing trends, except Kane Basin.

Sub-region September multi-year sea ice area decadal trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022

Data table for the long description
Sub-region September multi-year sea ice area decadal trends, Canadian Arctic domain, 1968 to 2022
Year Foxe Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Kane Basin
(thousands of square kilometres)
Baffin Bay
(thousands of square kilometres)
Beaufort Sea
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
(thousands of square kilometres)
Canadian Arctic domain
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 0.01 3 6 258 245 513
1969 0.73 17 38 366 262 685
1970 0.04 11 25 283 234 553
1971 1.09 17 11 313 198 540
1972 0.00 18 8 184 208 418
1973 0.61 27 13 259 215 514
1974 0.29 11 6 296 182 495
1975 0.56 18 2 466 190 677
1976 0.22 15 7 356 219 597
1977 0.05 16 21 187 262 486
1978 0.15 11 7 231 250 499
1979 0.39 21 12 178 352 563
1980 0.00 15 3 333 312 662
1981 0.16 12 7 259 205 484
1982 0.08 18 21 131 182 352
1983 1.15 23 45 263 225 557
1984 1.00 15 11 244 183 453
1985 0.00 14 1 282 173 470
1986 0.00 11 6 231 220 468
1987 0.00 10 11 241 311 572
1988 0.29 8 1 267 276 552
1989 0.06 26 17 221 257 521
1990 0.00 23 24 238 257 542
1991 1.95 5 3 373 306 689
1992 0.00 24 17 329 282 651
1993 0.52 31 80 151 279 540
1994 0.04 22 14 302 271 610
1995 0.61 18 19 201 256 494
1996 0.39 21 29 363 280 693
1997 0.33 24 11 185 321 542
1998 0.00 21 13 94 146 273
1999 0.23 13 15 165 107 300
2000 0.00 17 8 210 154 389
2001 0.13 16 10 286 239 551
2002 0.01 14 5 173 224 415
2003 0.02 14 2 224 283 523
2004 0.11 17 6 156 297 476
2005 0.76 13 6 236 256 512
2006 0.36 15 9 222 210 457
2007 0.00 15 13 107 161 296
2008 0.00 13 8 60 144 224
2009 0.00 11 8 154 167 340
2010 0.03 17 10 96 156 278
2011 0.00 11 2 72 90 175
2012 0.00 10 0 16 97 124
2013 0.00 13 8 125 135 281
2014 0.04 11 3 163 194 370
2015 0.00 15 16 83 121 235
2016 0.00 14 3 17 184 218
2017 0.00 16 12 50 182 260
2018 0.01 17 8 187 226 438
2019 0.00 9 1 63 187 260
2020 0.00 9 1 154 188 352
2021 0.00 14 5 172 214 405
2022 0.28 16 15 128 148 307
1968 to 2022 decadal trend -18.9% No trend -9.6% -12.9% -5.6% -9.0%

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2.56 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: The trends presented correspond to the decadal trend over the period from 1968 to 2022. The September multi-year sea ice area trend is calculated based on average multi-year sea ice area during the month of September for each year from 1968 to 2022. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Sea ice in Canada's Northwest Passage

Sea ice area in Canada's Northwest Passage

Canada's Northwest Passage is a system of gulfs, straits, sounds and channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are 2 main navigation paths through the Northwest Passage: a northern route and a southern route.

Key results

  • Over the 1968 to 2022 period, statistically significant decreasing trends were detected for both the total sea ice and multi-year sea ice areas in the summer season
    • Decreases of 3.3% and 7.4% per decade were detected for the summer sea ice areas of the northern and southern routes of the Northwest Passage, respectively. 
    • For summer multi-year sea ice, a decreasing trend of 6.1% per decade was detected for the northern route, while a decreasing trend of 11.4% per decade was detected for the southern route.
  • Since 1968, the lowest sea ice area was observed in 2011 for the northern route (69 000 km2), and in 2016 for the southern route (50 000 km2)
  • Since 1968, the lowest multi-year sea ice area occurred in 1999 for the northern route (12 000 km2), and in 2012 for the southern route (847 km2)

Average total and multi-year summer sea ice area, Canada’s Northwest Passage, 1968 to 2022

Average total and multi-year summer sea ice area, Canada's Northwest Passage, 1968 to 2022 (see the long description below)
Data table for the long description
Average total and multi-year sea ice area, Canada’s Northwest Passage, 1968 to 2022
Year Northwest Passage northern route total sea ice area
(thousands of square kilometres)
Northwest Passage southern route total sea ice area
(thousands of square kilometres)
Northwest Passage northern route multi-year sea ice area
(thousands of square kilometres)
Northwest Passage southern route multi-year sea ice area
(thousands of square kilometres)
1968 131 79 84 24
1969 133 87 68 7
1970 138 100 68 9
1971 120 78 56 10
1972 148 147 71 12
1973 130 77 90 21
1974 128 120 39 6
1975 136 83 66 12
1976 137 123 73 14
1977 124 80 77 22
1978 160 142 65 31
1979 157 153 94 43
1980 137 114 77 36
1981 116 66 54 10
1982 130 110 40 9
1983 128 109 50 17
1984 136 85 48 7
1985 123 101 55 13
1986 141 137 67 26
1987 144 118 96 30
1988 125 62 84 14
1989 125 102 69 16
1990 140 113 76 26
1991 134 112 80 33
1992 145 119 84 21
1993 128 88 84 22
1994 129 88 87 19
1995 132 85 69 13
1996 133 89 69 23
1997 146 103 93 22
1998 94 55 60 19
1999 107 70 12 4
2000 119 93 26 3
2001 137 83 64 7
2002 140 111 53 10
2003 136 98 77 14
2004 140 122 91 19
2005 136 107 86 23
2006 115 53 66 7
2007 98 57 44 4
2008 104 63 32 1
2009 119 87 29 5
2010 81 55 20 6
2011 69 50 15 1
2012 74 56 20 1
2013 122 79 22 2
2014 126 83 31 8
2015 91 59 24 7
2016 106 50 48 5
2017 119 59 59 12
2018 137 100 58 19
2019 121 58 76 10
2020 115 72 63 10
2021 122 63 67 9
2022 100 67 44 2
1968 to 2022 decadal trend -3.3% -7.4% -6.1% -11.4%

Download data file (Excel/CSV; 1.97 kB)

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Sea ice area is measured during the summer season. For the Canadian Arctic domain, the summer season is defined as the period from June 25 to October 15. A statistically significant trend is reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicates the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Climate Research Division.

Canada's Northwest Passage

Canada's Northwest Passage presents a potential deep-water Arctic shipping route between the northern Pacific and Atlantic regions that is much shorter than routes through the Panama or Suez canals. The Northwest Passage is covered by sea ice for most of the year, making it a navigation obstacle for ice-breaking ships and a safety hazard for non-ice-strengthened ships.

Canada's Northwest Passage

Canada's Northwest Passage (see the long description below)

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2018) Canadian Research Division.

Long description

The map of Canada's Northwest Passage shows the northern and southern routes that connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Reduced sea ice is increasing opportunities for shipping, tourism, resource exploration and industrial activities in the North. However, these activities bring new risks of marine accidents from a changing sea ice cover that can put people and ecosystems at risk and place additional stress on limited search and rescue and disaster response capacity.

Footnote 9

About the indicators

About the indicators

What the indicators measure

The Sea ice in Canada indicators provide information on the area of sea in Canada covered by ice during the summer season. Sea ice area represents the portion of marine area covered by ice. The area is evaluated using the Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive and is expressed in thousands or millions of square kilometres. The Sea ice in Canada indicators are provided for the Northern Canadian Waters, by sub-region and for the Northwest Passage. The indicators also present trends in total sea ice area and multi-year sea ice area. Multi-year sea ice is defined as sea ice that has survived at least one summer's melt.

Why these indicators are important

Sea ice is an indicator of how the climate is changing. It is a critical component of our planet because it influences the Arctic and global climate, ecosystems, and people who live in the polar regions. Sea ice influences the climate through the sea ice–albedo feedback effect (or reflectivity of the Earth's surface). Changes in sea ice can also affect ocean currents and the exchange of heat and water vapour from the ocean to the atmosphere.

Sea ice affects marine transportation, commercial fishing, offshore resource development, the hunting and fishing patterns of Indigenous peoples, and tourism and recreation. Understanding how Canada's climate is changing is important for developing adaptive responses. The Sea ice in Canada indicators provide a way to communicate to Canadians how the coverage of Canada's Arctic sea ice has changed.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Meteorological Organization use sea ice, among several other variables, to assess long-term changes in climate. Sea ice is considered by the World Meteorological Organization's Global Climate Observing System to be an Essential Climate Variable.

Related Initiatives

These indicators support the measurement of progress towards the following 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts.

In addition, the indicators contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They are linked to Goal 13, Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Related indicators

The Temperature change in Canada indicator measures yearly and seasonal surface air temperature departures in Canada, while the Precipitation change in Canada indicator measures annual and seasonal precipitation departures.

The Snow cover indicators provide information on spring snow cover extent and annual snow cover duration in Canada.

Data sources and methods

Data sources and methods

Data sources

Sea ice data used in these indicators were provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada's Climate Research Division. The sea ice area data were computed from the weekly sea ice charts (Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive) produced by Environment and Climate Change Canada's Canadian Ice Service.

More information

Spatial coverage

The indicators provide coverage for the Northern Canadian Waters which are comprised of the Canadian Arctic domain and the Hudson Bay domain. Five (5) sub-regions make up the Canadian Arctic domain (Kane Basin, Foxe Basin, Baffin Bay, the Beaufort Sea and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago) and 4 sub-regions comprise the Hudson Bay domain (Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Davis Strait and the Northern Labrador Sea).

Sea ice sub-regions of the Northern Canadian Waters

Sea ice sub-regions of the Northern Canadian Waters (see the long description below)

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2018) Canadian Research Division.

Long description

The map of Canada shows 9 sub-regions that make up the Northern Canadian Waters. The sub-regions are Baffin Bay, Beaufort Sea, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Davis Strait, Foxe Basin, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kane Basin, and the Northern Labrador Sea.

Temporal coverage

The indicators are calculated using data for the summer sea ice season for the years 1968 to 2022. The summer sea ice season is defined as the period from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain and from June 19 to November 19 for the Hudson Bay domain. These intervals correspond to the summer shipping season of each domain, a period during which the Canadian Ice Service produces weekly regional sea ice charts.

Data completeness

The data for these indicators are compiled by the Canadian Ice Service and grouped into time series by the Climate Research Division to ensure comparability. The data incorporate information from many different sources such as satellite data, surface observations, airborne and ship reports, and model results, along with the expertise of experienced ice forecasters. The Canadian Ice Service provides the authoritative Canadian record for sea ice in Canada.

Data timeliness

The data used in the Sea ice in Canada indicators are current up to 2022.

Methods

The Sea ice in Canada indicators are based on the sea ice area data provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada's Climate Research Division.

For each region and sub-region, an average sea ice area is calculated from the summer season weekly sea ice charts for each year, from 1968 to 2022.

A statistical analysis is carried out using the Mann-Kendall and Sen's methods (Kendall-tau) to identify the presence of statistical linear trends at the 95% confidence level.

More information

The Sea ice in Canada indicators use the weekly sea ice charts produced by the Canadian Ice Service. Weekly sea ice charts are primarily produced using imagery from RADARSAT-1 (since 1996), RADARSAT-2 (2008 to 2020) and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (since 2020) satellites. Other remote sensing data sources are also used, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer and Moderate-Resolution Imagine Spectrometer imagery. Where possible, the interpretation of satellite data is verified using observations from the Canadian Ice Service specialists onboard dedicated aircraft and Canadian Coast Guard ships.Footnote 10

The Canadian Ice Service ice charts indicate the ice concentration in tenthsFootnote 11 and its stage of development. They also list the mean and normal 1981 to 2010 temperatures of some of the region's stations, which give an indication of one of the factors contributing to current ice conditions. Ice information is presented using the World Meteorological Organization's terminology. For more information about how the Canadian Ice Service produces weekly sea ice charts and maps, consult the Regional Ice Charts or the Manual of Standard Procedures for Observing and Reporting Ice Conditions.

The weekly sea ice charts are compiled into time series by the Climate Research Division for each region and sub-region. The sea ice area for a given year corresponds to the average area calculated from the weekly sea ice charts of the summer season.

The summer season was chosen because it represents the time when the sea ice reaches its minimum area, which is widely utilized within the scientific community as a measure of climate variability. It is also the time period when the most visible changes in sea ice occur. Historically, sea ice charts have been generated to support the shipping season, which is most active during the summer.

Non-parametric statistical tests were carried out on temporal sea ice area data to detect the presence of a linear trend and, if present, to determine the orientation (positive or negative) and magnitude of the rate of change (slope). The standard Mann-Kendall trend test was used to detect trend presence and orientation, while the Sen's pairwise slope method was used to estimate the slope. A trend was reported when the Mann-Kendall test indicated the presence of a trend at the 95% confidence level.

Caveats and limitations

Care should be taken when using these indicators as proxies of the actual sea ice area change in specific locations. Sea ice area change could vary considerably within a sub-region, the smallest unit of analysis in these indicators.

Resources

Resources

References

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Environment and Climate Change Canada (2005) Manual of Standard Procedures for Observing and Reporting Ice Conditions (MANICE). Retrieved on November 14, 2022.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (2019) Changes in sea ice. Canadian Centre for Climate Services. Retrieved on November 14, 2022.

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Mudryk L, Derksen C, Howell SEL, Laliberté F, Thackeray R, Sospedra-Alfonso R, Vionnet V, Kushner P and Brown R (2018) Canadian snow and sea ice: historical trends and projections. The Cryosphere 12:1157 to 1176. Retrieved on November 14, 2022.

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Tivy A, Howell SEL, Alt B, McCourt S, Chagnon R, Crocker G, Carrieres T and Yackel JJ (2011) Trends and variability in summer sea ice cover in the Canadian Arctic based on the Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive, 1960-2008 and 1968-2008. Journal of Geophysical Research 116:C03007. Retrieved on November 14, 2022.

Trewin B, Cazenave A, Howell SEL, Huss M, Isensee K, Palmer MD, Tarasova O and Vermeulen A (2021), Headline indicators for global climate monitoring, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102, 1, E20–E37. Retrieved on December 22, 2022.

Warren FJ, Lulham N and Lemmen DS (Eds.) (2021) Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives Report. Government of Canada. Retrieved on November 14, 2022.

Related information

Haas C and Howell S (2015) Ice thickness in the Northwest Passage. Geophysical Research Letters 42(18):7673 to 7680.

Howell SEL and Brady M (2019) The dynamic response of sea ice to warming in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Geophysical Research Letters, 46. 13119-13125.

National Snow & Ice Data Center (2022) All About Sea Ice.

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