[prakruti] Impassable sea route in Arctic opens due to melting sea ice - DD

[Guest guest]

At 09:17 PM 9/16/07, you wrote:

>AVShenoy <av_shenoy

>[prakruti] Impassable sea route in Arctic opens due to melting

>sea ice

> - DD

>Prakruti <prakruti >,

> ...snip... Kisan Mehta G <kisansbc

>

>

>Monday 17 September, 2007.

>

>

>Impassable sea route in Arctic opens due to melting sea ice

>

>

>According to the European Space Agency, the Arctic's Northwest Passage has

>opened up fully because of melting sea ice, clearing a long-sought but

>historically impassable route between Europe and Asia.

>Sea ice has shrunk in the Arctic to its lowest level since satellite

>measurements began 30 years ago, ESA said, showing images of the now

> " fully navigable " route between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

>

>A shipping route through the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic has

>been touted as a possible cheaper option to the Panama Canal for many shippers.

>

> " We have seen the ice-covered area drop to just around 3 million square

>km, " said Leif Toudal Pedersen of the Danish National Space Centre,

>describing the drop in the Arctic sea ice as " extreme. "

>

>Polar regions are very sensitive to climate change, ESA said, noting that

>some scientists have predicted the Arctic would be ice free as early as 2040.

>

>Almost all experts say global warming, stoked by human use of fossil

>fuels, is happening about twice as fast in the Arctic as elsewhere on the

>planet.

>

>Once exposed, dark ground or sea soak up far more heat than ice and snow.

>

>September and March generally mark the annual minimum and maximum extent

>respectively of Arctic sea ice.

>

>The ESA announcement on its Web site came amid a scramble for sovereignty

>rights in the Arctic

 

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