{"id":337077,"date":"2024-07-20T15:19:41","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T13:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=337077"},"modified":"2024-07-20T15:19:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-20T13:19:43","slug":"arctic-sea-ice-choke-points-reducing-nw-passage-shipping-season-length-by-5-14-weeks-since-2007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=337077","title":{"rendered":"Arctic Sea Ice \u2018Choke Points\u2019 Reducing NW Passage Shipping Season Length By 5-14 Weeks Since 2007"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From NoTricksZone<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Kenneth Richard<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global warming was supposed to open up Arctic region shipping routes, making the Northwest Passage easier and less risky to traverse. Per a\u00a0new study<\/a>, the opposite has happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we reported<\/a><\/strong> earlier this year, while a declining trend in Arctic sea ice was observed from the 1990s to 2007, there has been no trend reduction in Arctic sea ice since then. A 17-year pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has long been a \u201ccommon belief\u201d that shipping through Canada\u2019s Northwest Passage would become \u201cmore viable\u201d with a warming Arctic and  a consequent reduction in sea ice impediments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observations trump beliefs, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The East Beaufort Sea has increasingly been generating sea ice \u201cchoke points\u201d that have reduced the length of the shipping season from 27 weeks (half the year) during 2007-2011 down to 13 weeks (summer only) during 2017-2021. And, as scientists are now warning, \u201cthe negative trend [in shipping season length] shows no sign of reversing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image Source:\u00a0Cook et al., 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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