NASA satellite pictures of the North Pole show that melting ice has opened up the North-West and North-East shortcut passages. The melting of ice is a typical repercussion of global warming. Mark Serreze, Sea ice specialist, (National Snow and Ice Data Center) said that this is a historic event. He warned that this is a death spiral for the Arctic icecap.  Reportedly, ship companies would take interest to use short cut route.

 

The 'Mailonline' has reported that the opening of the passages has made it possible to sail around the Arctic ice cap. Also, it has cut down the distance between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The event has happened for the first time in 125,000 years. NASA confirmed that the North-West passage opened last weekend and the remaining tongue of ice blocking the North-Eastern passage melted subsequently.

 

Earlier, the melting was discovered by James McCarthy, an oceanographer and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). And, later on there was an official confirmation that the icecap covering Greenland is also disappearing. Now, some scientists believe that the mass of ice encircling the North Pole could completely melt by the summer of 2030. However, some are of opinion that it will not take more than five years for the Pole to be ice-free between mid-July and mid-September.