> 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 i

> 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.