Evolving Arctic maritime hazards: Declining sea ice and rising waves in the Northwest Passage.

ABSTRACT: The ongoing and projected retreat of Arctic sea ice has garnered international interest toward the utilization of Arctic maritime corridors for shipping, tourism, and development. Yet, with potential for increasing traffic in Arctic regions, it's important to consider additional environmental variables affected by climate change which may threaten maritime operations. Here, we use four climate model projections to produce ocean wave simulations and investigate the future magnitude and seasonality of sea ice risk coupled with wave hazards. Analyzing the potential 5 mo shipping season spanning July to November along the Northwest Passage maritime route between 2020 and 2070, our results show a substantial decline in sea ice risk over the analysis time period, resulting in near open-water con

SUBMITTER: Henke MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11260157 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature