Heat from Pacific caused 2007 record-breaking Arctic sea ice loss

In a new study, scientists have found that the 2007 record-breaking Arctic sea ice loss was a result of heat transported from the Pacific Ocean.

The study was carried out by Rebecca A Woodgate and Ron Lindsay from Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, along with Tom Weingartner from the Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The researchers used observations from in situ moorings and satellite sea surface temperature measurements to quantify the heat flux through the Bering Strait into the Arctic.

They found that a substantial amount of heat is transferred through the Bering Strait and that this amount is highly variable from year to year.

In 2007, both the amount of water flowing through the strait and the temperatures were at record highs, according to the report's authors.

They noted that the 2007 heat flux through the Bering Strait was twice the 2001 heat flux and was enough to account for a third of the Arctic sea ice lost in 2007.