A striking ocean warming is documented in one of the main basins of the
interior Arctic Ocean (the Canada Basin). The upper ocean in the Canada
Basin has seen a two-fold increase in heat content over the past three
decades. The warm waters responsible for this buildup of ocean heat
originate hundreds of kilometers to the south of the interior Canada
Basin. These waters are formed at the geographic margins of the basin,
where reduced sea-ice extents in recent years leave the surface ocean
more exposed to summertime solar warming. Arctic winds drive these
exceptionally warm waters into the interior Arctic Ocean, below the
surface water layers, effectively archiving the heat. This means the
effects of sea ice loss are not limited to the ice-free regions
themselves, but lead to increased heat accumulation in the interior of
the Arctic Ocean that can have climate effects well beyond the summer
season.