largely influenced by heat from the ocean mixed layer, which needs to
be transferred to the atmosphere before freeze-up. Therefore, the ice albedo
feedback amplifies the trend in freeze-up onset. Earlier surface
melt onset might result in a later freeze-up. However, this connection
was significant only in the Laptev and Kara sectors (Table 4), because
in general, this causal link could be disturbed by atmospheric and
oceanographic dynamics during the melt season.