Arctic sea ice

Arctic sea ice is seawater frozen into floating ice across the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. Its extent and thickness change seasonally and over longer periods.

Sea ice formation: The process by which seawater freezes into floating ice, beginning with crystals and developing into ice cover. It explains how Arctic ocean water becomes the ice pack.
Arctic amplification: The enhanced rate of warming in the Arctic compared with the global average. Sea ice loss contributes to this regional warming through reduced reflectivity.
Sea ice: Frozen ocean water that floats at the sea surface, distinct from ice formed on land. Arctic sea ice is the northern regional expression of this global phenomenon.
Arctic sea ice minimum: The annual low point in Arctic sea ice extent, usually reached near the end of the Northern Hemisphere summer. The minimum is a standard measure of the summer retreat.
Sea ice growth and melt: The seasonal processes that add ice through freezing and remove it through surface and ocean melting. These processes drive the annual expansion and retreat of Arctic ice.
Arctic marine ecosystem: The interacting organisms and habitats of the Arctic Ocean and its connected seas. Seasonal ice provides habitat and shapes food webs across the Arctic Ocean.
Arctic Ocean: The ocean centered on the North Pole and largely enclosed by northern landmasses. It is the main ocean basin covered by Arctic sea ice.
Arctic sea ice maximum: The annual high point in Arctic sea ice extent, usually reached near the end of winter. The maximum records the winter expansion of the ice cover.
Sea ice drift: The movement of floating sea ice driven by winds, ocean currents, and interactions among ice floes. Drift redistributes Arctic ice and carries it toward export routes.
Polar bear: A large Arctic bear that depends heavily on sea ice to hunt seals and travel. Changes in ice habitat alter access to the bears' main prey.

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