It is likely that global warming has contributed to this, but it is not possible to attribute the recent abrupt decrease in thickness entirely to the observed warming in the Arctic.
Temperature na Južnem tečaju so precej nižje od tistih na Severnem tečaju, saj Južni tečaj leži na sredini velike kopenske mase, Severni tečaj pa sredi oceana na nadmorski višini 0 metrov in tam morska masa deluje kot velik zbiralnik toplote.