The focus of this book is on the effects of sea ice reduction in recent years and decades, and the consequences for shipping - especially on the sailing times, by using the North-East Passage. The northern sea route is becoming increasingly important not only for the Russian coastal region and the exploration and extraction of natural resources, but also for ships using the North-East Passage as a transit route between Europe and Asia. The historical changes of sea ice is presented, especially the reduction since 2000. To explain the change of sea ice, reference is made to the interaction...