Russian Icebreakers for Tourism and Science in Polar Regions - Changes Due to Climate Change

The introduction, in 1990, of Soviet Union icebreakers for the purpose of carrying tourists in Arctic regions began with Rossiya on a voyage from Murmansk to the Geographic North Pole (90ºN). Subsequently, additional cruises and itineraries have included not only the North Pole but also the Northern Sea Route (Northeast Passage), the Northwest Passage, Svalbard, and Greenland. A Russian icebreaker was first used for tourism in the Southern Ocean during the 1992-93 austral summer, in the regions south of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the southern Indian Ocean. One or two have been active annually in Antarctica since that time. Icebreaker cruises for tourism have become annual events in the Arctic since 1990 using both nuclear-powered and diesel-electric vessels. In both polar regions helicopters are used for ice reconnaissance and passenger transport. By the 2008 boreal summer, 14 different icebreakers of six national registries have made 77 voyages to the Geographic North Pole; 58 for tourism and 19 for scientific purposes. Complete transits of the Northwest Passage have been made by 84 different vessels, beginning with Gjøa in 1903. The Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov has made 16 transits, the largest number of any ship. To October 2008 there have been 122 complete transits of the Northwest Passage using a total of 7 different routes. ‘Ships of Opportunity’ to both polar regions provide the means for both scientists and naturalist staff on tourism cruises to conduct wildlife observations and censuses, record ice conditions, and a variety of other projects to remote areas that other ships not normally include on itineraries. The present continuing reduction in ice cover of the Arctic Ocean has implications for determination of climate changes, as well as for tourism itineraries, and the continuation of transits of the NW Passage and NE Passage will provide annual information as to the suitability for what will probably become transits for commerce in the not too distant future.

• Record URL:
  http://www.poac.com/Papers/POAC09_72-152.zip
• Summary URL:
  http://www.poac.com/PapersOnline.html
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03766756
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering Under Arctic Conditions (POAC).
• Corporate Authors:

  Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC)

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Splettstoesser, John
  • Headland, Robert
• Conference:
  • 20th International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC'09)
  • Location: Luleå , Sweden
  • Date: 2009-6-9 to 2009-6-12
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 743-753
• Monograph Title: POAC '09: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions
• Serial:
  • Proceedings of the International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering Under Arctic Conditions
  • Publisher: Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC)
  • ISSN: 0376-6756
  • EISSN: 2077-7841
  • Serial URL: http://www.poac.com/PapersOnline.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate change; Cruise ships; Icebreaking; Nuclear powered icebreakers; Science; Tourism
• Geographic Terms: Africa; Arctic Ocean; Australia; Greenland; New Zealand; North Pole; Northeast Passage; Northwest Passage; Russia (Federation)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment; I90: Vehicles;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01554591
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: POAC09-92
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 26 2015 9:53AM