Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-7pwfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T04:10:33.771Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Northern Sea Route, 1999–2000

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Lawson W. Brigham
Lawson W. Brigham
Affiliation:
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

At the end of the twentieth century, Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR) has functioned primarily as a domestic marine transport system with Murmansk Shipping Company as the dominant operator and facilitator. Total cargo along the NSR in 1999 was 1.58 million tons; during 1997–99 no through transit cargo was carried on the NSR. The International NSR Programme (INSROP), backed by Japanese, Norwegian, and Russian interests, concluded in November 1999 with a key user conference in Oslo. The six-year (1993–99) INSROP effort produced a large body of new information about the NSR and Russian Arctic that decision-makers will find valuable in planning future ventures in the region. Concerns have been expressed in Russia for the ageing icebreaker fleet that has been the backbone of all NSR operations since the 1950s. Several nuclear icebreakers have been refuelled and, although detailed plans for a replacement fleet of nuclear and diesel-electric ships have been developed, financing has not been identified. As Arctic sea ice continues to decline in extent and thickness, the impacts on future NSR operations will be significant considerations for future operations.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 37 , Issue 203 , October 2001, pp. 329 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bjørgo, E., Johannessen, O., and Miles, M.. 1997. Analysis of merged SMMR-SSMI time series of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice parameters 1978–1995. Geophysical Research Letters 24 (4): 413–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brigham, L. (editor). 1991. The Soviet maritime Arctic. London: Belhaven Press.Google Scholar
Brigham, L. 1999. Soviet-Russian polar icebreakers: changing fortunes. US Naval Institute Proceedings 125 (1): 89–90.Google Scholar
Brigham, L. 2000. Natural conditions, ice navigation and ship design – pushing the limits. In: Ragner, C. (editor). The 21st century: turning point for the Northern Sea Route? Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers: 57–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cavalieri, D., Gloersen, P., Parkinson, C., Comiso, J., and Zwally, H.. 1997. Observed hemispheric asymmetry in global sea ice changes. Science 278: 1104–1106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ischenko, A. 2000. Neftyanye prioritety Murmana [Oil priorities for Murmansk]. Polyarnaya Pravda 5 September 2000.Google Scholar
Ivanov, I. 2000. Akademik Fedorov cruise. ACSYS Arctic Forecast 2: 2.Google Scholar
Johannessen, O., Shalina, E., and Miles, M.. 1999. Satellite evidence for an Arctic sea ice cover in transformation. Science 286: 1937–1939.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korolev, A. 2000. Life time for nuclear icebreakers prolonged. Bellona Foundation 22 May 2000. http://www.bellona.noGoogle Scholar
Maslanik, J., Serreze, M., and Barry, R.. 1996. Recent decreases in Arctic summer ice cover and linkages to atmospheric circulation anomalies. Geophysical Research Letters 23 (13): 1677–1680.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordic Fund. 1999. Documents of the international conference ‘Development of Arctic Transport Systems in the XXI Century’, St Petersburg, 24–26 January 1999. St Petersburg: Nordic Fund.Google Scholar
Østreng, W. (editor). 1999a. The natural and societal challenges of the Northern Sea Route: a reference work? Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Østreng, W. (editor). 1999b. National security and international environmental cooperation in the Arctic: the case of the Northern Sea Route. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Parkinson, C., Cavalieri, D., Gloersen, P., Zwally, H., and Comiso, J.. 1999. Arctic sea ice extents, areas, and trends, 1978–96. Journal of Geophysical Research 104 (C4): 20, 837–20,856.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peresypkin, V. 2000. Introduction to Northern Sea Route history and INSROP's background. In: Ragner, C. (editor). The 21st century: turning point forthe Northern Sea Route? Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers: 23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ragner, C. (editor). 2000a. The 21st century: turning point for the Northern Sea Route? Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ragner, C. 2000b. The Northern Sea Route: commercial potential, economic significance, and infrastructure requirements. Post-Soviet Geography and Economics 41 (8): 541–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothrock, D., Yu, Y., and Maykut, G.. 1999. Thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover. Geophysical Research Letters 26 (23): 3469–3472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russian Petroleum Investor. 1998. Northern sites: competition intensifies for shipping Siberian oil through Arctic waters. Russian Petroleum Investor 9: 64–70.Google Scholar
Stein, R., and Stepanets, O.. 2000. Scientific cruise repor of the joint Russian-German Kara Sea expedition of RV Akademik Boris Petrov in 1999. Berichte fur Polarforschung/Reports on Polar Research 360.Google Scholar
Wadhams, P., and Davis, N.. 2000. Further evidence of ice thinning in the Arctic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters 27 (24): 3973–3975.CrossRefGoogle Scholar