
Russian tanker sails through Arctic without icebreaker for first time - jonbaer
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/24/russian-tanker-sails-arctic-without-icebreaker-first-time
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flukus
> On its maiden voyage, the innovative tanker used its integral icebreaker to
> cross ice fields 1.2m thick, passing along the northern sea section of the
> route in the Russian Arctic in a record six-and-a-half days.

I wonder if this has an appreciable effect on further ice melt. The tanker
cuts a huge swath through the ice, increasing it's surface area and allowing
it to drift off and melt faster. It's like an anthropic feedback effect.

