Two Arctic Shipping Routes Ice-free and Open For Passage
Satellite measurements indicate that there will once again be a below-average ice cover in the Arctic this year. As sea ice has melted during the summer months, two major shipping routes have opened in the Arctic Ocean. While the Northern Sea Route above Russia (also known as the Northeast Passage) has been open to shipping traffic since mid-August, recent satellite data show that the most direct course in the Northwest Passage now appears to be navigable too.