Satellite Images Reveals Arctic Polar Route in North Atlantic

The European Space Agency has released some startling news regarding ice levels in the Arctic Circle. The lead paragraph from a recent Associated Free Press article sums it up succinctly:

European scientists voiced shock as they showed satellite images that showed Arctic ice cover had disappeared so much last month that a ship could sail unhindered from Europe’s most northerly outpost to the North Pole itself.

The following photos show EOS Aqua images of the polar ice cap taken on August 2005 (left) and August 2006 (right).

Polar Route in North Atlantic