File:Ice-free coastal area, Chukchi Sea, Alaska.jpg

English: Following the trend that developed in September and October 2020, the Sea Surface Temperature measured in the Northern Bering and Southern Chukchi seas remained above normal in November. The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories high resolution data shows an anomaly of up to 3.5°C compared to normal conditions. This anomaly can be both a cause and an effect of the alarming lack of sea ice at this point of the season. Sea ice has an important influence on Earth systems and on the polar environment, influencing oceanic circulation, weather, and regional climate. But the influence of sea ice on the Earth is not just regional, it is global. The ice’s white surface reflects far more sunlight back to space than free ocean water. The more the ice melts and exposes more open water, the more sunlight is absorbed rather than reflected. The sun-warmed water then causes more ice to melt. Over several years, this positive feedback cycle (known as the ice-albedo feedback) can influence the global climate. This image acquired on 23 October 2020 by one of the two satellites of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission shows a ice-free coastal area in the Chukchi Sea, in the Arctic Region of western Alaska. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, which is composed of two twin satellites (Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B), provides multispectral data from 13 different bands with a maximum spatial resolution of 10 metres, provides invaluable support for monitoring the impact of Climate Change on Arctic sea ice extent.