Climate change in the Arctic and Safety of Navigation
in Arctic Waters
Rear Admiral Czesław Dyrcz, Ph.D.
Rector-Commandant of the Polish Naval Academy, Gdynia
The Arctic is the part of the Earth where climate changes are the most visible. It can be
compared to emergency warning system for the whole planet since observing these changes
the future of global climate can be easily predicted. Global warming influences Arctic
atmosphere, sea ice, snow cover and water level, permafrost, as well as population of
different species and ecosystems. Just to give a few examples, the temperature in the region
has increased more than in any other region on earth in the last 30 years. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “in the first half of 2010 air
temperatures in the Arctic were 4° Celsius warmer than in the 1968 to 1996 reference
period.” Moreover, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) study published
that Arctic sea ice thinned about 0.17 meters (seven inches) per year between 2004 and
2008, for a total of 0.68 meters (2.2 feet) over four winters. It is also expected that sea ice
may have disappeared completely by 2100 and the sea level will have risen by 1 meter.
The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. The Arctic consists
of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, the United
States (Alaska), Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, icecovered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost. The area can be defined as north of the
Arctic Circle (66° 33'N), the approximate limit of the midnight sun and the polar night.
Alternatively, it can be defined as the region where the average temperature for the warmest
month (July) is below 10 °C (50 °F); the northernmost tree line roughly follows the isotherm
at the boundary of this region.
Climate change in the Arctic and Safety of Navigation in Arctic Waters
Recent research shows that Arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected. As the Earth
continues to warm and Arctic sea ice melts, the influx of freshwater from the melting ice is
making seawater at high latitudes less salty and hence less dense. In fact, data shows that
the North Atlantic has already become fresher over the past several decades.
The second part of the lecture is going to talk about the increasing marine access for surface
ships and safety of navigation in the Arctic waters.
Ice is an obstacle and danger to any ship, even an icebreaker. The first principle of
successful navigation in ice covered waters is to maintain freedom of manoeuver. Once
a ship becomes trapped, the vessel goes wherever the ice goes. Ice navigation requires
great patience and can be a tiring business with or without icebreaker escort.
Experience has proven that in ice of higher concentrations, four basic ship handling rules
apply1:
▪
keep moving - even very slowly, but try to keep moving;
▪
try to work with the ice movement and weaknesses but not against them;
▪
excessive speed almost always results in ice damage; and
▪
know your ship’s manoeuvring characteristics.
Marine access for surface ships in the Arctic Ocean is increasing. New commercial
trans-Arctic shipping routes will sharply cut the distance between Europe and Asia. The
challenges of trans-Arctic shipping (Northwest Passage, Northern Sea Route or central Arctic
Ocean right across the North Pole), include economics, scheduling, cargo selection,
regulatory futures, insurance, the variability of the sea ice operating environment, transit fees,
and more2.
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2
Canadian Coast Guard. Ice Navigation in Canadian Waters Navigation In Ice Covered Waters. Chapter 4.
Photo source: rosatomflot.ru. and sovcomflot.ru.
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