FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists at the International Arctic Research Center say warm water surges from the North Atlantic Ocean are flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks researchers, who say the warm water is moving toward Alaska and the Canadian Basin, made their observations during an oceanographic cruise aboard the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn.
Previous studies have shown movement of warm water into the Arctic Ocean has increased during the past decade. The current study shows unprecedented warmth in some areas.
"The large area of the Arctic Ocean promises to become much warmer," said Igor Polyakov, principal investigator involved in the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational Systems project and a research professor at IARC.
Ocean temperature in the Arctic is important because it may affect the amount of sea ice in the region. Scientists believe arctic sea ice cover plays a major role in the Earth's climate, as ice reflects more of the sun's heat than does open water.
The NABOS project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation, is a collaboration of six nations.
