How does Arctic ice affect shipping and navigation and how may this change in the future?

1
How does Arctic ice affect shipping and
navigation and how may this change in the future?

• Bullers Wood School, Chislehurst,
• Kent

Will this image be an increasingly common sight
in the waters of the Arctic.?
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• Discussion topics
• Ice in the Arctic
• Ice and navigation
• The impact of the seasons on the seaice
• Current shipping and navigation in the Arctic
• What would the benefits of less sea-ice be?
• Different opinions about shipping and navigation
  in the Arctic

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Ice in the Arctic

• The Arctic consists of the Arctic ocean and the
  land area surrounding it including parts of the
  Russia, Canada, Greenland and Norway
• For much of the year the Arctic Ocean is covered
  with sea-ice
• Ice comes in different shapes and sizes the
  indigenous people have around 80 terms for the
  ice!!!

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Arctic Ice facts and formation (1)

• Average Arctic ice thickness is over 2 metres,
  but it varies.
• Newly formed ice few millimetres
• Older ice over 10 metres
• Canadian Archipelago ice 6 8 metres
• In the winter salt water freezes at -1.8 degrees
  Celsius
• The frozen seawater floats freely in the ocean,
  moved by wind and water currents. It is called
  drift ice
• Large chunks of drift ice are called ice floes
  and can measure up to 9.7 kilometres across
• When drift ice joins together its called pack
  ice

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Arctic Ice facts and formation (2)

• Sea ice has different stages of development,
  related to thickness and age. By age there are
  two distinctions first year ice, and multiyear
  ice.
• First year ice thicker than 30 centimetres but
  melts in the summer season  
• Multiyear ice survives the summer melt, reforms
  and gains in thickness 2 to 4 meters thick  
• 2 early forming types of ice are
• Pancake ice
• Grease ice

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Pancake Ice

• Pancake ice is called this because it consists of
  round pieces of ice which can be quite thick
• Each piece of ice looks like a pancake
• The pancakes are formed by
• flat but hard pieces of ice break off
• These ice pieces are made round by the action of
  turbulent, high energy waves

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Grease Ice

• Grease ice is very thin and quite soupy
• It is formed by ice crystals being blown out of
  the water and being clumped together
• The reason it is called grease ice is because its
  consistency resembles oil slicks

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Some of the 80 types of ice

• Greenlandic/Kalaallit English
• Siku Sea ice
• Aakkarneq Current formed sea ice
• Qilliliaq Sea ice, with no snow on it
• Sikuliaq Sea ice thin ice
• Maniillat Uneven, pack ice
• Tuaaq Sea ice connected with land
• Siku Ice on a lake
• Nutarmeq Thin ice formed in a closed crack
• Iluliaq Ice berg
• Sikup qaava Ice expanse

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The future of Arctic Ice

• According to a NASA report (2006) about
  multi-year ice
• long term we find a reduction of between 6.4
  and 7.8 per decade (Dr Nghiem)
• (Data determined using the scatterometer on
  Nasa's Quikscat satellite)

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How does ice stop shipping?

• Ice particularly pack ice - stops shipping by
  building up in the Arctic winter months, making
  it impassable for ships
• As a result, The Northern sea-route and North
  West Passage, both connecting the Atlantic and
  Pacific Oceans is only passable during the Summer
  months
• However there may be large lumps of ice lurking
  beneath the waters surface
• These lumps are potentially problematic if one
  makes contact with the hull (bottom) of the
  ship..
• There could be a torn hull,
• The propeller may get damaged
• The ship may sink (we have all seen the film
  Titanic)
• all the cargo will get scattered and any crew may
  drown
• great loss in financial terms

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What impact do the seasons have on sea ice?

• During the winter months the Arctic is tilted
  away from the Sun and therefore receives little
  heat, light or radiation
• This means sea-ice builds up in the colder
  months, as the temperature is below the freezing
  point of water
• In the Arctic Summer the area is subjected to 24
  hour daylight, causing the sea-ice to break apart
  and melt
• Global Warming has meant the melting of sea-ice
  has increased due to the increase of the
  atmospheric temperature

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Annual Growth and Retreat of the Polar Ice
packs.
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How do the seasons affect Shipping in the Arctic?

• Between late June / early July and early August
  the North Pole is titled towards the Sun
• During this summer period, the Arctic is
  constantly being bathed in the Suns heat,
  causing the ice to melt and the seas to flow more
  freely
• As a result, between August and early October,
  ships could potentially pass through the Arctic
  Ocean because most hidden ice has melted leaving
  a safer route largely ice free
• However, as yet, the ice free period is not long
  enough to make use of the Arctic for commercial
  shipping a realistic financial option

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Current Navigation and Shipping in the Arctic

• Despite the dangers, shipping and navigation does
  happen in the Arctic Ocean. Even in Winter
  months!!
• Shipping is assisted by
• Ice-breakers
• Ice-navigators

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Ice-Breakers

• Ice-breaker ships are used to break the ice in
  the Arctic so that ships can get through the
  Arctic safely
• Icebreaker features
• They are very heavy
• They have sloping bows
• The bow is heavily re-inforced
• They are very powerful
• The icebreaker's bow passes over and on top of
  the ice at speed
• The bow then forces down heavily on the ice,
  breaking it up
• As the ice-breaker moves forward, this leaves an
  ice free channel through the ice-pack

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Ice Navigators

• Ice navigators work on ice breakers or on ice
  class ships
• They help and advise the captain when they are
  crossing through the Arctic
• Their information comes from maps and satellites,
  such as Radarsat 1 and MODIS
• When an Ice Navigator is on the ship there are
  many things they have to endure such as
• Hypothermia
• Stress
• Darkness
• Frostbite
• Ice on the ship

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Current Navigation in the Arctic

• There are 2 shipping routes through the Arctic
  which connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
• The Northwest passage through the Canadian
  archipelago
• The Northern Sea route which follows the
  coastline of Norway, Russia and Japan
• Both routes enter the Pacific Ocean through the
  Bering Straits

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The Northern Sea Route

• The Northern Sea route provides more economic
  benefit than the North west passage
• It is an easier and shorter route
• It also provides access to oil fields in the
  Arctic
• The Northern sea route is ice free for 8 weeks
  but with ice-breaker assistance, ice-strengthened
  vessels can sail during winter
• The route is used primarily by Russia who also
  claim jurisdiction over the waters

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The Northwest Passage

• The passage is open from July to October
• But it is navigable for ships for only 4 6
  weeks each summer
• 2007 clear of ice for first time since records
  began (30 years ago) according to the European
  Space Agency
• Currently Canada claims full rights over the
  parts of the route that pass through its
  territory
• This is disputed by the EU and the USA who argue
  that it should be an international strait

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What would be the benefits of less sea ice?

• Between 1972 and 1990 the ice extent in the
  summer prevented major commercial use of either 2
  routes through the Arctic
• The projected ice extent in 2030 would allow much
  greater use of the Arctic ocean
• Commercial activities
• Container shipping
• Oil and gas exploration
• Tourism

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Container shipping (1)

• Economies and consumers in Europe and North
  America depend on goods made in Asia especially
  China
• The majority of goods found on the UK high street
  were made in Asia.
• They are shipped from production sites in Asia to
  markets in North America and Europe in
  containers.
• WE rely on the transport of containers

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Container shipping (2)

• Using containers on large vessels makes the
  transport cost per item much cheaper due to
  economies of scale
• However, the economic and environmental cost of
  transport increases with increased distance and
  delays to the transit..

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Container shipping route

• Containers are currently shipped from Asia to
  Europe via Singapore, the Indian Ocean, the Suez
  Canal and the Mediterranean Sea
• This general route is followed by all container
  shipping companies

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The Suez Canal and the Northern Sea Route

• The Northern Sea Route goes to the North of
  Eurasia through the Arctic and South to Europe
• This would save time and resources
• The Suez Canal Route is longer and there are
  potential delays in congested Asian ports and the
  Suez canal

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A New route option? (1)

• Using the Northern sea route would reduce journey
  lengths by 10 days. (from North Asia to
  Northwestern Europe)
• Ships currently travel 12840 miles from Japan to
  Europe via the Suez Canal but if they use the
  northern sea route it would be 5570 miles.
• A reduction of 7270 miles
• (source Jerome Varny, Container shipping on
  the Northern sea-route)

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A New Route option? (2)

• Commercial use of the Northern sea route or
  Northwest Passage might be a very tiny benefit of
  global warming.
• Reduced distance means reduced fuel consumption
• Billions of dollars in transportation costs could
  be saved each year, potentially making goods in
  shops cheaper for consumers
• Reduced fuel useage means less fossil fuels are
  being burnt to create energy.
• In turn this reduces the amount of CO2 being
  released into our atmosphere, potentially
  reducing the contribution of shipping to the
  enhanced greenhouse effect

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Oil and Gas supply benefits? (1)

• With the increase in Global Warming the Arctic
  Sea Ice is melting in greater quantities
• This means that there is easier access to the
  sea-bed below
• Russia has staked a claim on the sea-bed beneath
  the ice possibly due to the potential of oil /
  gas reserves
• Russia was so keen to stake their claim that a
  Russian submarine was in fact able to break
  through under the ice to plant a flag 2 miles
  beneath the surface of the ice.

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Oil and Gas Supply benefits? (2)

• The dark patches on the map show oil/gas
  reserves.
• In the Arctic sea ice and surrounding area there
  is 90 billion barrels of oil
• This is enough to supply the world for three
  years at current consumption rates
• This would be a massive benefit for the world
  because known reserves are running out

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Oil and Gas Supply benefits? (3)

• Oil produced in Alaska could move quickly by ship
  to eastern North American and European markets.
• The vast mineral resources of the Canadian North
  will be much easier and economical to develop.
• This opportunity for fast and cheap shipping
  between the Atlantic and Pacific is one of just a
  very small number of benefits that global warming
  might produce.

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Tourism Benefits?

• Tourism may increase in the Arctic because
• bigger ships can now travel round the Arctic,
  meaning more people
• There will be more ports to stop off at to make
  the tourists trip more exciting
• The tourists will have a chance to see the Arctic
  wildlife in their natural habitat.
• However, with less sea ice there is a smaller
  area of ice habitat for animals
• This change to the natural ecosystem may mean
  that fewer tourists will want to visit

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Opinions about increased use of the Arctic for
shipping

• Arctic Council
• an expected increase in shipping threatens to
• introduce invasive species,
• harm existing marine wildlife through collisions
• lead to damaging oil spills
• Seabirds and polar bear and seal pups are
  particularly sensitive to oil and can quickly die
  of hypothermia if it gets into their feathers or
  fur
• Whales, as well as walruses and seals, can have a
  harder time communicating, foraging and avoiding
  prey in noisy waters.
• the Arctic marine environment is especially
  vulnerable to potential impacts from marine
  activity,

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Opinions about increased use of the Arctic for
shipping

• Pablo Clemente-Colón (chief scientist at the
  National Ice Centre) the open water in the
  passages over Russia, particularly, remains
  clotted with thick, dangerous floes and can also
  close up in a matter of hours.
• Insurance companies will be reluctant to insure
  large commercial vessels due to the ice related
  risks
• Container shipping companies will still prefer
  the longer Suez canal route due to the existing
  infrastructure (ports etc) and the difficulties
  of replicating them in the Arctic

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Our Opinion

• At present the potential ice risks will make
  commercial shipping use of the Arctic too
  dangerous (we dont want another Titanic!!)
• The environmental risks of shipping are too great
  to make use of the Arctic for shipping on a
  regular basis
• We need to protect rare species of wildlife such
  as
• Polar bears
• Walruses
• Exploitation of oil and gas reserves will lead to
  much environmental degradation

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Our Opinion.

• Use of the Arctic could create lots of
  geo-political conflict over the use of resources
• However, it does seem inevitable that the Arctic
  ocean will become increasingly used as global
  warming results in less sea-ice.
• Therefore it MUST be controlled by a global
  organisation