800 km
The famed Northwest Passage—a direct shipping route from Europe to Asia across the Arctic Ocean—is ice free for the first time since satellite records began in 1978, scientists reported Friday. The passage is a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic. It would save valuable time and fuel for ships that now travel through the Suez Canal in Egypt or the Panama Canal in Central America. Satellite Images. The opening of the Northwest Passage is clearly shown in a mosaic of 200 satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA). The snapshots also reveal that the Northeast Passage—a similar route that winds along Siberia's coast instead of Canada's—is nearly clear. The Parliament of Canada renamed these waterways the  Canadian Northwest Passage  in motion M-387 passed unanimously 2 December 2009. Sought by explorers for centuries as a possible trade route, it was first navigated by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen with a small expedition in 1903–1906. After completing the Northwest Passage portion of this trip and having anchored near Herschel Island, Amundsen skied 800 kilometres to the city of Eagle, Alaska. He sent a telegram announcing his success and skied the return 800 km (500 mi) to rejoin his companions. The size of the task does not faze him. In 2012, we did the Northwest Passage with a ship called The World, where people have apartments and some live on board year-round. As a result of that, Crystal approached us and asked us to help them, Soper said. The World is actually of a similar size, but it carries fewer people, about 250 crew and 250 guests.  On paper it’s an intriguing notion. Sending cargo through the Northwest Passage would shave about 4,000 kilometres on a trip from Europe to Asia compared with the Panama Canal, which also can only accommodate ships of a certain size. The Nordic Orion saved about $200,000 and about four days using the passage. But many experts say there are too many drawbacks to the Northwest Passage that mean it will never amount to more than a niche transit route. It’s too shallow, they note, and the network of islands and inlets make navigation tricky. In the 21st century, major changes to the ice pack due to climate change have stirred speculation that the passage may become clear enough of ice to permit safe commercial shipping for at least part of the year. On August 21, 2007, the Northwest Passage became open to ships without the need of an icebreaker. After completing the Northwest Passage portion of this trip and having anchored near Herschel Island, Amundsen skied 800 kilometres to the city of Eagle, Alaska. He sent a telegram announcing his success and skied the return 800 km (500 mi) to rejoin his companions. When the Nordic Orion loaded up with coal in Vancouver in September and sailed through the Northwest Passage to Finland, the voyage was hailed as a breakthrough in Arctic shipping and a sign of things to come as global warming opens up the Far North. The Nordic Orion saved about $200,000 and about four days using the passage. But many experts say there are too many drawbacks to the Northwest Passage that mean it will never amount to more than a niche transit route. It’s too shallow, they note, and the network of islands and inlets make navigation tricky. The Northwest Passage consists of a series of very deep channels that wind through Canada's Arctic Islands. The Northwest Passage is about 900 miles (1450 km) long. Using the passage instead of the Panama Canal can cut thousands of miles off of a sea journey between Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, the Northwest Passage is about 500 miles (800 km) north of the Arctic Circle and is covered by ice sheets and icebergs much of the time. Some speculate, however, that if global warming continues the Northwest Passage might be a viable transportation route for ship The Northwest Passage is a sea route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In the past, the Northwest Passage has been virtually impassable because it was covered by thick, year-round sea ice. The potential benefits of a clear Northwest Passage are significant. Ship routes from Europe to eastern Asia would be 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) shorter. Alaskan oil could move quickly by ship to ports in the eastern United States. Northwest Passage is a 1940 film in Technicolor, starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, Walter Brennan, Ruth Hussey, and others. The picture is based on a novel by Kenneth Roberts titled Northwest Passage (1937). The title is something of a misnomer, since this film is a truncated version of the original story, and only at the end do we find that Rogers and his men are about to go on a search for the Northwest Passage. In a three-year journey between 1903 and 1906, Amundsen explored the passage with a crew of six. Amundsen, who had sailed to escape creditors seeking to stop the expedition, completed the voyage in the converted 45 net register tonnage (4,500 cu ft or 130 m 3) herring boat Gjoea. gjøa After completing the Northwest Passage portion of this trip and having anchored near Herschel Island, Amundsen skied 800 kilometres to the city of Eagle, Alaska. He sent a telegram announcing his success and skied the return 800 km (500 mi) to rejoin his companions.
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how much faster is the northwest passage