The rapid warming of the Arctic, a definitive sign of climate change, is occurring even faster than previously described. A new report by the Finnish Meteorological Institute concludes that the Arctic has warmed at about four times the global average … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Arctic
One of the traditions of US icebreakers operating in the Arctic is “ice liberty.” When an icebreaker encounters a thick ice floe, the crew is allowed liberty to get off the vessel to walk about or play games from touch … Continue reading
The schooner Bowdoin turned 100 years old this year. She was designed by William H. Hand, Jr., and built in East Boothbay, Maine, at the Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard. The only American schooner built specifically for Arctic exploration, she was designed … Continue reading
When the ultra-large container ship Ever Given blocked traffic in the Suez Canal recently, Russia’s energy ministry saw an opportunity. The ministry suggested that the shutdown of the canal highlighted the safety and sustainability of its Northern Sea Route (NSR). … Continue reading
In late August, we posted about how the 99-year-old four-masted steel bark Sedov set off to transit the Arctic by the Northern Sea Route to reach her home port of Kaliningrad. She has now almost completed the voyage, passing the … Continue reading
The 99-year-old four-masted steel bark Sedov is sailing home by an unusual route. She is sailing North from Vladivostok and transiting the Arctic by the Northern Sea Route to reach her home port of Kaliningrad. Crossing the Arctic will be … Continue reading
In May of last year, we posted about the Russians’ first floating nuclear power plant, “Akademik Lomonosov — Floating Chernobyl or Nuclear Titanic?.” At the time, the barge-mounted power plant was essentially completed but needed to be loaded with fuel. … Continue reading
The media has called the Russian floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov a “Floating Chernobyl” and a “Nuclear Titanic.” Is this just headline hyperbole? Or, is the barge-mounted 70-megawatt nuclear reactor a serious threat? It is hard to tell, which is scary … Continue reading
An update on a previous post — in August, we posted about Pen Hadow’s latest expedition to the Arctic. Hadow is best known for being the only person to walk solo to the North Pole and back without being resupplied. … Continue reading
In 2003, Pen Hadow walked to the North Pole. He became the first person to trek to the Pole solo without being resupplied. Now, Pen Hadow is returning to the North Pole, but he won’t be able to walk. The … Continue reading
Yesterday, we posted about the restoration of the historic schooner Ernestina, ex-Effie M. Morrissey. Here is a documentary, narrated by the polar explorer, Captain Bob Bartlett, describing a voyage to Greenland in the schooner he refers to as his “Little Morrisey.” … Continue reading
In September, we posted about an upcoming voyage on the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry into Canada’s Northwest Passage. Apparently there berths still available for those who would like to join in the adventure. From the OHPRI website: Earn your “Blue nose” … Continue reading
Between 1893 and 1896, the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen allowed his ship Fram to freeze into the Arctic icepack and attempted to drift with the ice across the North Pole. He came close but ultimately failed in the attempt. Recently, … Continue reading
For several years, we have followed Shell Oil’s expensive, dangerous and almost farcical attempts to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea in the Alaska’s Arctic. Shell has faced protests, multiple groundings, technical failures, and citations for safety and pollution violations. Worst … Continue reading
A group of 16 Russian scientists, monitoring climate change in the Arctic, encountered more than they had planned on. They had to be rescued when the ice beneath their station began to crack due to unusually warm weather. The Russian nuclear … Continue reading
Interesting news from various sources on the first large tanker to transit Russia’s Northeast Passage through the Arctic. The Barents Observer reports that the “100,000 tons tanker Baltica left Murmansk on Saturday loaded with gas condensate for China. This is … Continue reading