Photo: Arctic Melt Opens Northwest Passage

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The Arctic now has its lowest amount of sea ice (show in green) since measurements began in 1978, as seen in this September 2007 mosaic image taken by European Space Agency satellites.

The melt has completely opened the Northwest Passage (yellow line) and mostly cleared the Northeast Passage (blue line). Both represent time- and fuel-saving shortcuts between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Image courtesy ESA

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