Environment: Operations

Global Climate

Trends

Indigenous People

• Impacts

• Knowledge

Operations

• Military

Wildlife

• Phytoplankton

• Mammals

   • Seals

   • Polar Bears

Regions covered by sea ice play an important role in specialized human activities in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

Large, but sparse, industrial operations take place in the Arctic. In Alaska, the Prudhoe Bay oil fields lie along the shore. In Russian Siberia, many cities along the Arctic coast have factories. Normally, most of these pollutants would sink near their source and only contaminate the local region. But if sea ice is present, these pollutants can become entrained, or captured, in the ice and distributed throughout the Arctic as the sea ice circulates.

Antarctica has no indigenous people, but several thousand people live on Antarctica during parts of the year, supporting scientific research at various stations. McMurdo Station, the logistics hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program, is resupplied by ships each year after an icebreaker clears a path through the sea ice. During years when sea ice is thicker and more prevalent, the icebreaker’s job is more difficult and time-consuming. Thick sea ice delays the resupply and costs more money. In recent years, a large iceberg, called B-15A, wedged itself aground near McMurdo Station. The iceberg was more than 3,108 square kilometers (1,200 square miles) in area and up to 270 meters (886 feet) thick. It blocked currents and winds that normally pushed sea ice away from McMurdo. The sea ice was thicker and more abundant than usual, which made it more difficult for icebreakers to clear a path to McMurdo. An extra icebreaker was sent to help clear the ice, at a considerable expense.

Arctic operations are also affected by the presence of sea ice. While most of the Arctic is covered with perennial (year-round) sea ice, the Arctic Ocean is still a strategic sea route, for both commerce and the military.

The Arctic Ocean provides the shortest route between Europe and Asia. However, this route is typically impassable because of sea ice. Ships must traverse around Africa's Cape Horn or through the Panama Canal to travel between Europe and Asia. If sea ice extent continues to decline, routes through the Arctic Ocean may become navigable for part of the year.