Arctic summer sea ice extent controlled by atmospheric transport

The retreat of the summer sea ice in the Arctic region is one of the most dramatic signs of the ongoing climate change. Although the ice cover is steadily decreasing it also shows a large variability from year to year. In a new study, published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, researches at Stockholm University have examined the variability of the Arctic sea ice. They concluded that warm and humid winds from southerly latitudes towards the Arctic in spring are important for the amount of sea ice later in the summer.