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March 11, 2026 - Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea
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On March 9, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of a sunny late summer day in Antarctica. The image captures both the long, ice-encrusted Antarctic Peninsula as well as the Weddell Sea.
The Weddell Sea is an embayment of the Southern Ocean, with the Antarctic Peninsula forming its western boundary, while the Filchner and Ronne ice shelves mark its southern extent. The Sea stretches over an area of about 1,080,000 square miles (2,800,000 square kilometers), which is just a little smaller than the area of Argentina.
Each year, frigid winter temperatures triggers the formation of sea ice around Antarctica, including the Weddell Sea. By late March, Antarctic sea ice reaches its lowest extent, thanks to the relatively warm temperatures and long hours of summer sunshine. However, even during this annual low point, the Weddell Sea retains at least some ice. One reason is that the Weddell reaches farther south than other parts of the Southern Ocean. This keeps the water colder and ice growing for a longer period in winter.
But the main reason relates to how the ice circulates with the winds and currents. Elsewhere around Antarctica, ice tends to drift north into warmer water and melt; in the Weddell Sea, it is usually caught up in a clockwise gyre. This motion helps to keep the ice within the Weddell Sea, where it can stick around to become multi-year ice.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 3/9/2026
Resolutions:
1km (502.9 KB), 500m (1.4 MB), 250m (3.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On March 9, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of a sunny late summer day in Antarctica. The image captures both the long, ice-encrusted Antarctic Peninsula as well as the Weddell Sea.
The Weddell Sea is an embayment of the Southern Ocean, with the Antarctic Peninsula forming its western boundary, while the Filchner and Ronne ice shelves mark its southern extent. The Sea stretches over an area of about 1,080,000 square miles (2,800,000 square kilometers), which is just a little smaller than the area of Argentina.
Each year, frigid winter temperatures triggers the formation of sea ice around Antarctica, including the Weddell Sea. By late March, Antarctic sea ice reaches its lowest extent, thanks to the relatively warm temperatures and long hours of summer sunshine. However, even during this annual low point, the Weddell Sea retains at least some ice. One reason is that the Weddell reaches farther south than other parts of the Southern Ocean. This keeps the water colder and ice growing for a longer period in winter.
But the main reason relates to how the ice circulates with the winds and currents. Elsewhere around Antarctica, ice tends to drift north into warmer water and melt; in the Weddell Sea, it is usually caught up in a clockwise gyre. This motion helps to keep the ice within the Weddell Sea, where it can stick around to become multi-year ice.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 3/9/2026
Resolutions:
1km (502.9 KB), 500m (1.4 MB), 250m (3.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
