The melting of the arctic sea ice have been cause for concern, because an ice-less sea will absorb more heat from the sun and therefor contribute to a global warming. In a recent study from Tromsø in Norway Stephen Hudson at the Norwegian Polar Institute has developed a model that is able to quantify the effect of the disappearing ice. In addition his new model was also able to demonstrate the significance of clouds in reducing the sea's heat absorption.

Without clouds his climate model revealed that ice-less sea would absorb twice the amount of heat.

- "My calculations show that the warming caused by the melting arctic ice is equivalent to 0.3 watt per square meter if distributed across the entire planet. If the cloud-cover, which reflects more sunlight than the dark sea, is not included the effect is almost 0.6 watt per square meter," says Stephen Hunson to forskning.no.