Some forecasts indicate that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by midway through the current century. If the current trend continues, the Northwest Passage (a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the islands of the Canadian archipelago) might be regularly traversed during the summer. Second, global warming is starting to reduce the extent and thickness of theĪrctic's sea ice. Remaining oil and natural gas resource might be held within the Arctic Region.
The United States Geological Survey estimates that up to 25% of the world's Thought to be held within the Arctic Ocean's floor. Three factors are important in driving this new level of interest in the Arctic.įirst, an enormous amount of oil, natural gas and other resources are Within the last several years, a significant amount of interest has developed in the Arctic Ocean and its seafloor features.
