Thinning ice leads to winter warming in the Arctic

Heat-trapping blanket of moisture rising from the sea causes trouble for North Pole, climate simulation shows

thin ice in Arctic Sea

WARM NIGHTS  During autumn and winter, thinning Artic sea ice increases heat-trapping water vapor in the air, leading to more ice loss, new research suggests.

Patrick Kelley/U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Geological Survey/Flickr

Even when the Arctic goes dark and cold, thinning ice could keep the North Pole from cooling off.