An investigation into patterns and trends of shipping incidents within the Arctic Circle with specific reference to sea ice retreat

• Main Author: Little, John Vans Norman MacLeod
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Arctic; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10026.2/2501

This report looks at the significant issues posed by increasing shipping within the Arctic regions. In doing this it elucidates potential relationships between increasing Arctic shipping activity and ice regression; specifically seeking out trends in shipping incidents within the region by utilising historical shipping data between 1995 and 2014 as gathered by Lloyds Maritime Intelligence Unit. These relationships are analysed spatially and temporally. Trends are shown throughout the entire dataset to indicate that shipping incidents are becoming more frequent and at higher latitudes. Synthesis of ice data and shipping incidents builds on these trends. They indicate that the distance from the ice edge, the frequency of incidents and the latitude at which they occur are all factors that are crucial to understanding the future of shipping within the Arctic Region.