North-West passage
 
 
North pole ice cap
According to US NSDIC (National Snow and Ice Data Centre), during summer 2007, arctic sea ice extent got to the lowest levels since satellite measurements begun in 1979. Taking into account airborne measures carried out during the fifties the amount of the reduction can be estimated in the order of 50%. Even a comparison between conditions at the end of August in 2005 and 2007 shows a clear reduction both in extension and in concentration of sea ice.
On a long time scale global warming induced by the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the main responsible for sea ice reduction. In the short term an important decrease in polar cloud coverage during 2007 (up to 20% in the area north of Alaska) fostered rapid melt of ice. It is still matter of debate how these meteorology related factors will behave in the long term.
Solar radiation is completely absorbed by melted water (while is almost completely reflected back by ice), thus adding up a positive contribution to the raise of sea surface tempeature. On the other hand warmer sea water should foster cloud formation. Clouds reflect sun rays very efficiently and therefore the final effect could be a reduction in the sea surface temperature.


The North-West passage
According to NASA and ESA, in summer 2007 sea ice extent decreased so much that, for the first time since satellite based monitoring began, the fabled North West passage was free of ice and therefore fully navigable.
Explorers have been looking for this passage for centuries as a possible trade route. Among them, Sir John Franklin, after several expeditions to the Polar Sea, lost his life shortly after having discovered the Passage in 1847. His life was masterfully portrayed by the German writer Sten Nadolny in the novel “The discovery of slowness”.
In 1906, Roald Amundsen first successfully completed a path from Greenland to Alaska. The use of the NW passage ( as of the equivalent North East passage above Russian Siberia) for shipping, would shorten the journey between Asia and Europe by thousands of miles.


The political framework
As a consequence of these rapid changes in polar environment, the world is paying more attention to this area than ever.
Russia, Canada and Denmark, prompted in part by years of warming and the ice retreat this year, ratcheted up rhetoric and actions aimed at securing sea routes and seabed resources.
The most spectacular among these actions was undoubtedly the Russian expedition, led by explorer and parliamentarian Artur Chilingarov, that planted a titanium flag on the sea bed, 4200 meter below the North Pole.
 


Download image (1480 KB) Mosaic of Synthetic Aperture Radar data, highlighting the minimum of sea ice extent at the beginning of September 2007; Both North West and North East routes are indicated.



Download image (795 KB), Synthetic Aperture Radar image of McClure Strait in the Canadian Arctic, part of the North West passage.



 

 

 
Download image (1040 KB), A long glacier flowing into the sea channel between
Bylot and Baffin Island, portrayed by COSMO SkyMed the new Italian
satellite equipped with a high resolution synthetic aperture radar



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