STATISTICAL NAVIGATION CONDITIONS ALONG XUELONG ARCTIC CRUISE PATH IN THE SUMMER OF 2012

摘要

Based on the ship-base observations in 0.5 hours while Chinese RV Xuelong sailed through the Northeast Passage, Arctic during the summer of 2012, environmental conditions affect on the sailing are analyzed from Arctic Navigation purposes. The Chinese RV Xuelong is looked as a research object. While the ice concentration was over 70% and ice floes size over 2km had been found they were limits of RV Xuelong to sail in ice breaking. The percents of the navigated distance to meet the floe ice with more than 70% ice concentration and the ice floes over 2 km are analyzed respectively. Then the ice thickness under the both conditions encountered by RV Xuelong is taken into account for one of key parameters in Arctic Navigation. These results are given in five key navigating areas of Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Laptev Sea, North of Sevemaya Zemlya and Expedition area.