Elements
Growth and Disintegration

Arctic Polar Ice Mass
Climate Stabilizer

Melting Polar Ice Mass
Recent Observations

References

The following factors affect the formation and disintegration of Arctic sea ice:

Conduction
The process where heat is transferred between particles provides the building-blocks to the overall growth pattern of sea ice.  When Arctic air is colder than sea water, heat is removed from the sea water and in turn freezes.  

Solar radiation
A by-product expelled by the sun, between the spring and autumn months is a defining factor to reverse the conduction process in relation to sea ice growth.   

Albedo value
Refers to the overall reflectivity of solar radiation concerning varying surface layers i.e., open water compared to snow covered sea ice possesses a lower reflectivity value.

The disintegration stage of sea ice 
Image Credit: Environment Canada