The Arctic's shrinking sea ice gives way to increasingly navigable shipping corridors: GIS based analysis by satellite imagery and radar observation

• Main Author: Chambers, Adrienne
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2017
• Subjects: Environmental Studies; Arctic; Breaker; Iceberg*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/scholwk/2017/Day_two/57

Changing Arctic sea ice affects annual trading seasons by increasing navigability of the Arctic Circle. A comprehensive assessment of shipping in the Arctic was conducted following recognition of the significant changes to governance, climate and resource development in the region. The changes in annual maximum growth of sea ice in the Arctic is difficult to predict, which puts ships at a disadvantage when planning when to traverse the ocean. Ongoing analysis of sea ice’s potential change to navigability each season can improve traversing the newly extended trading seasons. This analysis uses GIS methods to analyze recorded historic sea ice extents compared to more recently recorded satellite and radar data to explore changes to the most likely path of least resistance. This research revealed interesting patterns in international trade seasonality for Northern nations as well as potential effects of increased travel through sea ice growth and recession cycle. Many ships require ice crushers for travel along certain Arctic routes, which disrupts the formation of new thick sea ice in the freezing process. Providing real time satellite sea ice information could direct ships to the path of least resistance, avoiding thick ice as well as icebergs and ice bridges. My results prove that continuing analysis and communication with ships can be provided by satellite and aircraft radar observations to identify the shortest path of lease resistance, reduce disturbance to growing sea ice, and reduce the need for ice breaker ships.