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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. S. Goel et al. (eds.), Climate Change and the White World,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21679-5_3
The Arctic Ocean: Advances in Geopolitics
and Geoscience
Walter R. Roest and Richard T. Haworth
Abstract The Arctic Ocean is an area where geoscience knowledge and (geo-)
politics are closely intertwined. In several regions of the globe, tensions between
different States are rising in view of sovereignty claims over parts of the ocean.
However, the harsh climate conditions in the Arctic Ocean require tremendous
efforts on behalf of its coastal States in order to establish the outer limits of their
continental shelves, which force them to collaborate and share information. Over
the last 20 years, significant advances in geoscience research have been achieved by
mapping and imaging the Arctic seafloor and subsoil, often as a result of close collaboration between the Arctic coastal States. This includes the development of technology to facilitate operations in deep water, in remote areas and under harsh
conditions, such as the use of icebreakers, of remotely operated vehicles and of
autonomous underwater vehicles. These States are now in a position to prepare well
substantiated submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
that delineate the extent of their continental shelves. The international collaboration
and cooperation has resulted in a tremendous increase in our collective understanding of the Arctic over the last few decades. In this paper, we will discuss the political
context and some of the major geological and tectonic features that make up the
Arctic Ocean and its surrounding continental shelves.
Keywords Arctic Ocean · Continental shelf · Geosciences · Arctic politics
W. R. Roest (*)
Ifremer Centre de Bretagne, Marine Geosciences, Plouzané, France
e-mail: walter.roest@ifremer.fr
R. T. Haworth
RTH Consultants, Wolfville, NS, Canada
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. S. Goel et al. (eds.), Climate Change and the White World,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21679-5_3
The Arctic Ocean: Advances in Geopolitics
and Geoscience
Walter R. Roest and Richard T. Haworth
Abstract The Arctic Ocean is an area where geoscience knowledge and (geo-)
politics are closely intertwined. In several regions of the globe, tensions between
different States are rising in view of sovereignty claims over parts of the ocean.
However, the harsh climate conditions in the Arctic Ocean require tremendous
efforts on behalf of its coastal States in order to establish the outer limits of their
continental shelves, which force them to collaborate and share information. Over
the last 20 years, significant advances in geoscience research have been achieved by
mapping and imaging the Arctic seafloor and subsoil, often as a result of close collaboration between the Arctic coastal States. This includes the development of technology to facilitate operations in deep water, in remote areas and under harsh
conditions, such as the use of icebreakers, of remotely operated vehicles and of
autonomous underwater vehicles. These States are now in a position to prepare well
substantiated submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
that delineate the extent of their continental shelves. The international collaboration
and cooperation has resulted in a tremendous increase in our collective understanding of the Arctic over the last few decades. In this paper, we will discuss the political
context and some of the major geological and tectonic features that make up the
Arctic Ocean and its surrounding continental shelves.
Keywords Arctic Ocean · Continental shelf · Geosciences · Arctic politics
W. R. Roest (*)
Ifremer Centre de Bretagne, Marine Geosciences, Plouzané, France
e-mail: walter.roest@ifremer.fr
R. T. Haworth
RTH Consultants, Wolfville, NS, Canada