April 26, 2005. This is the sky over the Arctic, not the Pacific Sea Ice. More than likely the Arctic Air Mass and not the north Pacific. That is a cloud mass. The 'sky' can be seen in the breaks in the clouds. I have been looking at Russian satellites for some time whenever I can and there always is this thick cloud mass over the polar regions of the country which would explain the heat trapped next to the terra firma and sea ice regions. I believe the cloud masses are spawned by sublimination of the ice resulting in high levels of moisture in the troposhere. I could be wrong. No, I am wrong the other photos were taken from above the region. This is looking down from above the clouds, the 'blue' are breaks in the clouds over a large area of the Arctic Ocean. At least I think it's the Arctic and not the Pacific. My assessment of the cloud density remains the same regardless of whether looking from above or below the cloud mass the reason for them being there remains the same. Those clouds are trapping the heat near the ice but on the positive side also 'SHADE' it as well. The air is so clear. It would be interesting although very cold to be near the tops of one of those mountains to see a sun rise and sunset to discern any chemicals in the air that might have migrated on winds to the Arctic Circle. That level of pollution was very evidently in all the pictures from Iceland. Iceland received a great deal of pollution form the USA and Europe. This is too white to complain about. There seems to be little soot changing the whiteness of the snow/ice regions. Clouds are good at this point. It helps shade the ice as best it can. There is a lot of heat in the polar regions. Far more than in the lower latitudes.