clouds

Arctic Sea Ice Melt Season Stabilizes After Decades of Expansion

The Arctic's melt season now runs roughly 40 days longer than in 1979, yet its rapid expansion unexpectedly stalled around 2010. Scientists point to shifting clouds and increasingly thin ice as possible drivers of this pause. That plateau is not a reprieve; continued warming could trigger another surge of change. For context on how Arctic dynamics intersect with commercial ambition, our coverage of Russia's Northern Sea Route icebreaker plans offers a practical counterpoint. The ice is settling, but its stability remains an open question.