Arctic Ocean
The smallest and shallowest of Earth’s five major oceans, surrounding the North Pole and bordered by North America, Europe, and Asia.
Arctic sea ice: Seawater frozen into floating ice across the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. Its seasonal expansion and retreat reshape the ocean’s surface and habitats.
Arctic Ocean circulation: The movement of water through the Arctic Ocean, driven by winds, density differences, and exchange with neighboring oceans. Its currents redistribute heat, salt, and freshwater beneath and around sea ice.
Arctic shipping routes: Marine passages through Arctic waters used or proposed for commercial navigation. Declining summer ice has increased interest in routes across the ocean.
Arctic amplification: The phenomenon in which the Arctic warms faster than the global average. It helps explain the ocean’s rapid loss of sea ice and rising temperatures.
Southern Ocean: The ocean surrounding Antarctica, defined by the waters south of the major southern latitude boundaries. It is the other ocean organized around a pole, but is far larger and more open.
Arctic Ocean basin: The deep central basin and surrounding continental shelves beneath the Arctic Ocean. Its broad shelves and deep basins govern circulation and resource distribution.
Beaufort Gyre: A wind-driven clockwise circulation in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean. It stores freshwater that can later be released toward the North Atlantic.
Northwest Passage: A set of sea routes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. It is a major shipping route whose navigability depends on ice conditions.
Arctic sea ice decline: The long-term reduction in the extent, thickness, and age of Arctic sea ice. It alters ocean habitats, surface reflectivity, and access to marine routes.
North Atlantic Ocean: The northern portion of the Atlantic Ocean between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. It exchanges water with the Arctic through broad northern gateways.