Data from meteorological satellites have been received operationally in Berlin since 1966. The position of the sea ice edge between Greenland in the west and the Kara Sea in the east is extracted from these data monthly. An overview of methods for deriving ice information from operational satellite data is given, with special attention to AVHRR data: the use of single channel and channel difference images, minimum brightness, and microwave data from the MSU onboard the NOAA satellites. On the basis of monthly ice maps the ice-covered area between 50° W and 60° E has been computed. These data can be useful for studying interannual and seasonal variations of the ice cover within this sector of the Arctic.