An Australian study is of the suggestion that melting ice is an important cause of arctic warming in the past 20 years time period.

Team of University of Melbourne researchers, which is led by James Screen, stated that the raised Arctic warming was due to constructive feedback between sea ice melting and atmospheric warming.

Screen stated that the sea ice seems like a shiny cap on the Arctic Ocean. At the time of its heating up, it reflects a majority of the incoming sunlight back into space. When the sea ice melts there is more amount of heat that is absorbed by the water.

The warmer water subsequently heats the atmosphere above it. The scientists stated that their conclusions are in clash with preceding theory that says that warmer air that is transported from lower latitudes toward the pole, or changes in cloud cover, are the main causes of elevated Arctic warming.

The arctic region has been experiencing the fastest warming than any other area on Earth, partially caused by growing human greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the arctic ice has been dilapidating radically.

Professor Ian Simmonds, of the University's School of Earth Sciences and co-author of the research paper finds the findings to be amazingly astonishing.