Mapping Adversarial Maritime Activity in a Changing Arctic

The Wall Street Journal has created a visualization showing the expanding maritime presence of Russia and China near the North Pole. Climate change has led to melting ice, opening new sea routes and making the region more accessible for resource extraction including precious minerals and transportation. The map above highlights maritime activity in 2024, highlighting over 1,300 voyages, with the red areas indicating the heaviest traffic and yellow the least. The Wall Street Journal sourced the data from satellite tracking, maritime traffic databases, and official shipping records. 

Take a look.