Atlantic heat constrains Arctic sea ice extent
The winter sea ice extent in the Barents Sea has gradually decreased during the last three decades, and the annual mean sea ice area was reduced by about 50% during the last decade (1998-2008). A new study reported in Journal of Climate by researchers from the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (University of Bergen, Uni Research, and Institute of Marine Research), shows that interannual variability and long-term decrease in sea ice cover reflect changes in the inflow of Atlantic water.
This warm water flows northward off the Norwegian coast and into the Barents Sea as an extension of the Gulf Stream.
