In this view from high above, bands of Cumulus radiatus and Stratocumulus radiatus clouds stream across the Barents Sea, their parallel lines shaped by steady winds moving over the water below. In places, the flowing clouds resemble brushstrokes that echo the textures of the sea ice beneath.

The scene was captured by NASA’s Terra satellite, which observes ice, ocean, and atmosphere to reveal how closely connected these systems are. As sea ice retreats more and more each year, the exposed water releases warmth and moisture into the air that help organise low clouds into long, parallel streets that stretch across a rapidly changing Arctic.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.