Also, the ‘record’ loss of sea ice from this summer has been replaced with a ‘record’ freeze of sea ice, earlier than normal.
Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic Ocean
"Record sea ice growth rates after a record low may sound surprising at first, but it is not completely unexpected. The more ice that survives the summer melt, the less open water there is for new ice to grow. When summertime ice extent hits a record low, on the other hand, large areas of open water provide room for the ice to grow once temperatures cool off enough. While summer warming of the upper ocean surface can cause wintertime sea ice regrowth to lag initially, as the fall season progresses and sunlight weakens, the rate of energy loss from the ocean increases. That heat loss coupled with a large area of open water creates ideal conditions for sea ice to form rapidly over large areas."
So which of the following is more likely to be true ?
A - Warmer water caused massive ice melting and then massive ice freezing.
B - Warmer water caused massive ice melting and then weaker sunlight caused massive ice freezing ?
C - Increased sunlight caused massive ice melting and then decreased sunlight caused massive ice freezing ?