The Great White Ocean

Abstract

Satellite data have revealed overall decreases in the Arctic sea ice cover since the late 1970s, although with substantial interannual variability. The ice reductions are likely tied to an overall warming in the Arctic region over the same time period, although both the warming and the ice reductions could be connected to large-scale oscillations within the system. Should the ice reductions continue, consequences to the Arctic ecosystems and climate could be considerable.