An overview of scholarly literature on navigation hazards in Arctic shipping routes.

• Published in: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• Main Authors: Lin, Bowen, Zheng, Mao, Chu, Xiumin, Mao, Wengang, Zhang, Daiyong, Zhang, Mingyang
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2024
• Subjects: Arctic shipping routes; Ice area navigation; Icebreaker; Polar navigation risk; Sea ice conditions; Ship navigation mode; Arctic; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29050-2; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37667115

Maritime transport plays a crucial role in international trade. As the number and tonnage of ships continue to increase, traditional shipping routes are becoming progressively congested. The development of Arctic shipping routes has the potential to significantly improve trade efficiency and decrease reliance on traditional shipping routes. At the same time, the harsh navigation conditions in the Arctic pose a huge challenge to ships crossing the Arctic shipping routes. To address the above issues, this paper reviews the natural, navigational environment and unique navigational modes of ships in the Arctic shipping routes. Furthermore, the navigational risks caused by factors including low temperature, sea ice, poor visibility, communication, lack of infrastructure, lack of navigational experience, lack of historical data, high collision risk, and complex navigational environment are summarized and analyzed, providing a reference for researchers and policymakers to conduct research related to Arctic shipping routes.