Polar Ice Reaches Record Minimum – Sept 2007

NASA and other satellites monitoring and measuring the extent of the seasonal contraction of the Arctic ice pack have observed the greatest single year contraction in almost thirty years of observations.  Illustration (1) below is a plot of the last two years of the ice pack.  Illustration two is a composite of this years’ survey (click on each for higher res picture)

In an article in the 22 October edition of Aviation Week & Space Technology, Leif Pedersen of the Danish National Space Center was quoted as saying:

"There has been a reduction of the ice cover over the last 10 yearsof about 100,000 sq km per year on average, so a drop of 1 million sq km in just one year (from 2006) is extreme."

This is not/not an Al Gore is right post by any means.  Rather, in light of the discussion ongoing re. the new Maritime Strategy, this is presented as one of those new challenges we, the maritime services, need to be cognizcant of and ready to address in terms of application of hard and soft power.  For make no mistake about it – Russia will certainly do the utmost in her power (and is already well down that track) to exploit the strategic and material opportunities made possible by this phenomenon.  Read more here, here and especially here for more.