This animation shows the Arctic sea ice extent from 1 September 2019 until 31 August 2020.  The circle in the middle indicates a lack of data, what is often referred to as a ‘pole hole’ and is visible in most Arctic maps.

On 19 August 2020, the world’s largest and longest polar research expedition – known as MOSAiC – reached the North Pole after making an unplanned detour owing to lighter-than-usual sea ice conditions. The expedition now enters its final stage, where researchers will study the last piece of the Arctic puzzle: the refreezing of melt points and freezing of new sea ice at the end of the summer season.