With continued anthropogenic warming, an ice-free Arctic (sea ice area <1 million km2) is inevitable. This Review outlines the various characteristics of an ice-free Arctic, highlighting that future emission trajectories will determine where, how frequently and how long the Arctic will be ice free each year.
I had hoped this article would answer the very question it poses in the very last paragraph:
Finally, there is an urgent need to gain a better understanding of the impacts of an ice-free Arctic and the processes that could lead to an early ice-free Arctic . . . the impacts of occasional daily ice-free conditions versus frequent monthly ice-free conditions versus ice-free conditions that occur for several months a year is needed to assess the true impact of what the transition of the Arctic sea ice cover into its new seasonal sea ice regime means in a warming world.
I had hoped this article would answer the very question it poses in the very last paragraph:
I guess we’ll find out soon enough. I expect further disruption of the jetstream so more impact on harvests.