Impacts of Arctic Sea Fog on the Change of Route Planning and Navigational Efficiency in the Northeast Passage during the First Two Decades of the 21st Century

Abstract

Under the background of climate change, the Northeast Passage’s navigability is on the rise. Arctic sea fog significantly influences navigational efficiency in this region. Existing research primarily focuses on routes accumulating the lowest distance, neglecting routes with the lowest time and sea fog’s influence on route planning and navigational efficiency. This study compares the fastest and shortest routes and analyzes Arctic sea fog’s impact on the Northeast Passage from June to September (2001–2020). The results show that coastal areas are covered with less sea ice under notable monthly variations. Sea fog frequency is highest near coasts, declining with latitude. September offers optimal navigation conditions due to minimal ice and fog. When only sea ice is considered, the fastest route is approximately 4 days quicker than the shortest. The shortest route has migrated towards the higher latitude over two decades, while the fastest route remains closer to the Russian coast. Adding the impact of sea fog on the fastest route, the speed decreased by 30.2%, increasing sailing time to 45.1%. The new fastest route considering both sea ice and sea fog achieved a 13.9% increase in sailing speed and an 11.5% reduction in sailing time compared to the original fastest route.