National Geographic UK - 09.2019

Oden

Swedish

research

vessel

Selected gas

or oil pipeline

September 10, 2018

sea ice extent

Median September

sea ice extent

1981—2010

North Pole

Yamal Pen.

Kola

Pen.

Franz Josef LandFranz Josef Land

North LandNorth Land

Novaya ZemlyaNovaya Zemlya

Jan MayenJan Mayen

Devon I.Devon I.

Baffin I.Baffin I.

Victoria I.Victoria I.

Ellesmere I.Ellesmere I.

New Siberian Is.New Siberian Is.

NORWAY

SWEDEN

FINLAND

RUSSIA

CANADA

SVALBARD

(NORWAY)

ICELAND

FAROE ISLANDS

GREENLAND (DENMARK)

(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)

(DENMARK)

GREENLAND

(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)

(DENMARK)

Barents Sea

Norwegian

Sea

Kara Sea

Laptev Sea

North Sea

Baffin Bay

Hudson Bay

Davis Strait

ARCTIC OCEAN

Ye

nise

y

Len

a Ob

POLAR CODE AREAPOLAR CODE AREA

YAMAL-EUROPE (^) PI
PELINE
ARCT
IC^ CIR
CLE
Venta
(^) Mae
rsk (^) r
out
e
Venta
(^) Mae
rsk (^) r
out
e
Sept. (^13)
Sep
t. (^1)
7
Sept. (^20)
NO RT H ER
N (^) S E
A (^) R
OUT
E
NO
RT
HW
ES T
PA S S A
GE
Mary River
Mine port
Mary River
Mine port
Tiksi
Mys Kamennyy
Dudinka
Sabetta Varandey
Arkhangelsk
Helsinki
Oslo
Murmansk
Hammerfest
Mongstad
Ittoqqortoormiit
Baker Lake
St. Petersburg
Stockholm
Longyearbyen
Qaanaaq
Ilulissat
Iqaluit
Churchill
Nuuk
Qaqortoq
Reykjavík
Tiksi
Mys Kamennyy
Dudinka
Sabetta Varandey
Arkhangelsk
Helsinki
Oslo
Murmansk
Hammerfest
Mongstad
Ittoqqortoormiit
Baker Lake
St. Petersburg
Stockholm
Longyearbyen
Qaanaaq
Ilulissat
Iqaluit
Churchill
Nuuk
Qaqortoq
Reykjavík
Room to maneuver
Sea ice extent in September
2018 was more than 25
percent smaller than the
average extent of September
sea ice from 1981 to 2010.
No end to Arctic hazards
Even as sea ice declines, Arctic
journeys will remain dangerous
because of harsh weather, a lack
of nautical charts, and the
challenges of search and rescue.
Arctic tourism boom
A French icebreaker cruise ship
is aiming for the North Pole by
2021, and dozens of ships
intended for polar cruises are
scheduled to launch by 2023.
Arctic energy
Russia’s Yamal Peninsula is
thought to have the world’s
largest natural gas reserves.
Ten ice-breaking tankers
are exporting Russian gas
to Europe and Asia, with five
more under construction.
Fishing freeze
A 2018 international
agreement bans commer-
cial fishing in the central
Arctic Ocean while scien-
tists assess the region.