Sea Ice Decline Intensifies
Figure 6: Satellite image of Northwest Passage, September 2005
This satellite image shows ice conditions in the Northwest Passage on September 13, 2005. Only 40 miles of scattered ice obstructed Victoria Strait. In previous years, the Northwest Passage was heavily clotted with sea ice—the first expedition to successfully make the voyage was Amundsen's, in 1905. The team took more than 2 years to complete the journey through the icepack. On September 13, 2005, Amundsen's route was nearly ice-free. (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer image)
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