ARCTIC THAW - Melting Glaciers = More Navigable Water

Note that this is climate change in action.

"Unmapped Routes May Pose Dangers for Shipping Boom in Arctic Waters" PBS Newshour 9/17/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Melting glaciers mean more water to explore and profit from in the Arctic, but it can also mean danger for mariners.  NewsHour producer April Brown reports that scientists from the NOAA who inform sailors how close they can get to the ice have not been able to keep up with the dramatic speed of climate change and new vessels.

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  Next, we head north to the Arctic Sea.

Thanks to climate change, there are now new waters to discover there.  Melting ice has opened new routes for ships, and raised concerns about safety for maritime traffic in uncharted territory.

NewsHour’s April Brown reports part two of our series, Arctic Thaw.

APRIL BROWN:  The vivid blue glaciers in Prince William Sound captivate tourists from all over the world. But they are slowly shrinking.

CODY HANNA, Klondike Express Captain:  We're back here, you know, about five months out of the year every day, so we're watching these glaciers break off, move back, and we're seeing the change daily.

APRIL BROWN:  Cody Hanna captains the Klondike Express tour boat.  He says the melting glaciers create more navigable water.