Scientists from the University of East Anglia are among an international team spending this summer flying through the heart of Arctic storms as part of a research project.

The expedition has been organised to better understand how weather systems are having an impact on polar sea ice.

It involves the scientists from the several countries using two aircraft to fly around 60 missions, over the course of a month, from the Norwegian Arctic.

It is the first time that Arctic summer cyclones have been studied in this way.

The phenomena are the main type of hazardous weather affecting the polar environment during summer.

They can influence sea ice movement and trigger rapid ice loss, effects which themselves influence the development of cyclones.

Eastern Daily Press: UEA scientists Ian Renfrew, right, and Andy Elvidge, left, are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclones. Also pictured is University of Reading PHD student Hannah CroadUEA scientists Ian Renfrew, right, and Andy Elvidge, left, are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclones. Also pictured is University of Reading PHD student Hannah Croad (Image: UEA/University of Reading)

The project will create the most detailed picture yet of how the ice and ocean interact with the atmosphere above, in order to better simulate this in weather and climate prediction models.

Among those working on the research are four academics from the UEA: professor Ian Renfrew, from the School of Environmental Sciences, PHD student Miriam Bennett and researchers Andy Elvidge and Chris Barrell.

Prof Renfrew said: “From our base in Svalbard, we will be investigating summertime Arctic cyclones and how these weather systems interact with the sea ice.

“Recent decades have seen a dramatic fall in Arctic sea ice area and cyclones appear to both slow down and speed up the ice decline, depending on the time of the year.

“The physical processes are unclear and one of our aims is to investigate the effect of the cyclones on the sea ice and the effect of the sea ice distribution on the cyclones.”

Eastern Daily Press: UEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclonesUEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclones (Image: UEA/University of Reading)

Temperatures in the Arctic are rising faster than anywhere else on earth, with climate change having a dramatic impact on sea ice, making it thinner and breaking it up, making it more susceptible to winds and storms.

Arctic summertime cyclones can measure thousands of kilometres in diameter and can persist for several days or weeks, often moving south of the Arctic circle.

Eastern Daily Press: UEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclonesUEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclones (Image: UEA/University of Reading)

The flights started on July 27 and will run until August 24.

Strong northerly winds during the first week temporarily slowed sea ice retreat, due to recent heatwaves in the region, providing ideal conditions for the first flights.

The Norfolk team, along with other UK scientists taking part, are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and are flying in the British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter plane.

They are based at Longyearbyen - the most northerly town on earth - in the Svalbard islands.

Eastern Daily Press: UEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclonesUEA scientists are part of an international team studying Arctic summer cyclones (Image: UEA/University of Reading)