• The centres of rising air follow eastward, further weakening the surface wind and allowing the warm water to slump further, a positive feedback.

• Consequently, its role as an insulating barrier between the cold winter air above and the warmer ocean waters below decreases.

• The haze, which is observed primarily during winter and spring when the Arctic air is very cold and calm, consists of industrial aerosols, mostly from Europe and northern Asia, that have been transported long distances into the Arctic by prevailing winds.