http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/705320.stm
Friday, 7 April, 2000,
12:34 GMT 13:34 UK
New route breaks the ice
[ Map
of new shipping route connecting Europe to the Pacific...
]
CAPTION:
"Routes to the East: London to Japan via the North East
passage is shorter than the Suez route by 7,400km."
A time-saving new shipping route connecting Europe to the Pacific
may be navigable thanks to global warming, scientists say.
The North Eastern Passage,
which cuts through the arctic waters
along Siberia, was until now locked by ice. However, the steady
rise in temperatures over the last 20 years has seen the ice thin
and retreat substantially.
This means that the
passage may soon become navigable for most
of the year.
Dr Peter Wadhams, of
the Scott Polar Research Institute in
Cambridge, UK, said that the long sought dream of a North East
shipping route "could become reality in as little as 10 years
time".
Shorter
distances
Commercial companies
trading between Europe and the Far East
or North Western America would see shipping times slashed.
At the moment, a voyage from London to Japan via the Suez Canal
covering 20,300 km (11,000 nautical miles) takes 35 days.
The distance via the
North Eastern passage is only 13,000 km
(7,000 nautical miles) and would take around 22 days
- a substantially shorter journey.
"If you can use
the northern sea route, it'll be very,
very advantageous in terms of freight costs," Dr Wadhams
told the BBC.
Ships can currently
only reach the East through the Panama
Canal, the Suez Canal, or by going around Africa or South America.
Submarine data
Dr Wadhams said that
satellite images showed arctic sea ice
receding towards the North Pole at a rate of 5% per decade.
American and British
submarines have also been monitoring
the thickness of the ice which has thinned by 40% over the
last 20 years. These changes have been attributed to
human-induced global warming by some scientists. Others
believe much of the retreat could be explained by a natural
climate phenomenon known as the Arctic Oscillation, which
can result in particular wind patterns that last several
years.
Whatever the cause,
there are several political, legal and
commercial issues to address before any lucrative route
can be used. The North Eastern Passage lies entirely
in Russian waters. The Russians have been using the
passage internally for some time, but show signs of
willingness to open it up to international traffic.
Insurance companies
are also reluctant to insure vessels
in arctic waters because of fears of ice damage.
###
