by Malte Humpert With the beginning of fall just two days away,
the sun at the North Pole is about to disappear below the
horizon for the next six months and the Arctic summer, which saw
a new record low ice extent, is coming to a close. For the first
time since the beginning of satellite measurements not only the
Northern Sea Route (NSR) but also all channels along the
Northwest Passage (NWP) appeared to be virtually ice free for an
extended period of time. These waterways were of little interest
to shipping companies when thick multiyear sea ice choked the
waters along Canada and Russia’s northern coasts. But now,
climate change is causing the polar ice cap to thin and recede.
Since 2007 both Arctic passages have been temporarily ice-free
during late summer. Within the next decade, the Arctic could
experience a complete late-season melt-out and thus a permanent
loss of the multiyear ice. Shipping traffic along the NSR is
expected to double this year due to increases in the size and
frequency of ships travel