THE NAVIGATIONAL SETTING

Table 8. Joint Ice Center's sea ice severity data for Alaska's north coastal

waters (from USN/NOAA NIC 1994).

Median

Extremes

Parameter

19531993

Initial opening date of coastal route to Prudhoe Bay*

3 Aug

18 Julnever

Length of navigation season (days)

0112

NA† 7 Nov

Final closing date

6 Oct

Number of days route entirely ice free

092

Distance (nm) from Pt. Barrow northward to:

Ice edge on 10 August

050

Heavy pack edge** on 10 August

070

Ice edge on 15 September

0165

Heavy pack edge on 15 September

0210

* Opening date based on the initial date that the entire route from the Bering Sea to Prudhoe

Bay may be navigated through ice cover of less than 5/10 concentration.

† No closing date in 1975 because the route never opened.

** Boundary between greater than 5/10 ice cover to the north and less than/equal to

5/10 to the south.

varied between 19 July and 3 September. The

INSROP Working Paper I.1.1

length of the navigation season also varies consid-

A paper by Kjerstad (1994) published by the

erably, as shown in Appendix C. In 1975, the route

International Northern Sea Route Programme pro-

never opened, whereas in 1993 it was considered

vides perhaps the latest information publicly avail-

navigable (5/10 ice concentration or less) for 112

able on navigation guides, regulations, operational

days. Table 8 presents the means and extremes of

aids, and communication systems. Though we did

sea-ice conditions affecting navigation in north-

not receive it in time to thoroughly review and

ern Alaskan waters from 1953 through 1993.

incorporate its contents into this report, the inter-

ested reader is advised of its existence and from

where it can be obtained (see Literature Cited).

THE NAVIGATIONAL SETTING

Routes, distances, and depths

The overall distance from one end of the NSR

Sources consulted

to the other is variable because of the choice of

routes available. Due to variable ice and hydro-

DMA sailing directions

graphic conditions, longer routes may be more fa-

The Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/

vorable in terms of the time required for passage.

Topographic Center in Bethesda, Maryland, pub-

Figure 20 shows the distances between various

lishes and sells a series of detailed sailing direc-

waypoints along the route. In general, the shorter

tions for the entire globe. Navigational details for

(in distance) transit routes between Novaya

the NSR are described in the Agency's Publication

Zemlya and the Bering Strait are the northern vari-

183, Sailing Directions: Northern Coast of Russia

ants. These routes need to be weighed against the

(DMA 1993). In addition to sailing directions, this

likelihood of more severe ice conditions to be found

publication provides important information about

farther off the coast.

the region's river and seaports.

The Russian Arctic is characterized by expan-

sive seas (the Kara, the Laptev, the East Siberian,

Russian State Hydrographic Department

and the Chukchi) separated by island archipela-

The State Hydrographic Department under

goes (Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, Novo-

Russia's Ministry of Transport has, since the for-

siberskiy, and Wrangel), with several routing

mal opening of the route, been compiling an offi-

choices around or through each. The choice of route

cial NSR navigation guide for foreign consump-

is determined by several factors, including the voy-

tion. It is to be published as the Guide to Navigation

age origin and destination, the current ice condi-

Through the Northern Sea Route, and was described

tions or those to be expected based on meteoro-

earlier (see Administration and Regulations). Our

logical and hydrodynamic forecasting, and the

draft translation of this document served as a ma-

location of icebreaking resources at the time.

jor source of the information presented below.