▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁observed ▁Ar ctic ▁ampl ification ▁include ▁Ar ctic ▁sea ▁ice ▁decl ine ▁( open ▁water ▁reflect s ▁less ▁sun light ▁than ▁sea ▁ice ), ▁and ▁atmos pher ic ▁heat ▁transport ▁from ▁the ▁equ ator ▁to ▁the ▁Ar ctic . ▁ ▁Jenn ifer ▁Francis ▁told ▁Scient ific ▁American ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁" A ▁lot ▁more ▁water ▁v apor ▁is ▁being ▁transport ed ▁north ward ▁by ▁big ▁sw ings ▁in ▁the ▁jet ▁stream . ▁That ’ s ▁important ▁because ▁water ▁v apor ▁is ▁a ▁green house ▁gas ▁just ▁like ▁carbon ▁dio x ide ▁and ▁m eth ane . ▁It ▁tra ps ▁heat ▁in ▁the ▁atmosphere . ▁That ▁v apor ▁also ▁cond enses ▁as ▁dro ple ts ▁we ▁know ▁as ▁clouds , ▁which ▁themselves ▁trap ▁more ▁heat . ▁The ▁v apor ▁is ▁a ▁big ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ampl ification ▁story — a ▁big ▁reason ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁is ▁war ming ▁faster ▁than ▁anywhere ▁else ." ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁linked ▁rapidly ▁war ming ▁Ar ctic ▁temper atures , ▁and ▁thus ▁a ▁van ishing ▁cry os phere , ▁to ▁extreme ▁weather ▁in ▁mid - lat itudes . ▁In ▁particular , ▁one ▁hypothesis ▁links ▁polar ▁ampl ification ▁to ▁extreme ▁weather ▁by ▁changing ▁the ▁polar ▁jet ▁stream . ▁However , ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁study ▁noted ▁that ▁extreme ▁events ▁in ▁particular ▁associated ▁with ▁sea ▁ice ▁and ▁snow ▁cover ▁decl ine ▁have ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁observed ▁for ▁long ▁enough ▁to ▁distinguish ▁natural ▁climate ▁vari ability ▁from ▁impact s ▁related ▁to ▁recent ▁climate