The Gulf Stream, which carries warm surface waters northwards from the Gulf of Mexico to the sub-polar waters east of Greenland, is extremely important in moderating the climate in Europe; the coastal waters of Europe are 4°C warmer than waters at equivalent latitude in the North Pacific.

However, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream cool and sink as they reach the Arctic. If this circulation pattern were disturbed by reduced Arctic sea ice, there would be a profound effect on the strength or direction of the Gulf Stream. It is therefore apparent that an improved knowledge of the fluxes of sea ice in the Arctic is important for the prediction of Europe's climate.