The main current in the Arctic Ocean is the East Greenland current. This current is strong due to the number of rivers that flow into the Arctic Sea, the low rate of evaporation, and the land and submarine ridges surrounding the ocean. Two other weak currents flow out of the Arctic Ocean, the Labrador Current which runs through Smith Sound and Baffin Bay, and one that runs out of the Bering Straight. There is also a circular current in the Arctic Basin which is created by water deflecting off of Northern Greenland. The central part of the ocean is permanently covered in about ten feet of ice.
Pressure ridges in the ice can sometimes reach three times that height.
In the summer months, the icepack is surrounded by water and free-floating. During the winter, the icepack expands to nearly twice its summer area, reaching the land on all sides. Due to the extreme temperatures people thought that non-oceanic life didn't exist in the Arctic.