--- title: Climate Change: Waves Pose Risk for Ships in Ice-Diminished Arctic description: "These are still pretty treacherous waters" canonical: https://time.com/3100243/arctic-ice-ships-climate-change/ author: NBC News article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-11T11:47:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T09:35:40.100Z article:section: Science og:title: Climate Change: Waves Pose Risk for Ships in Ice-Diminished Arctic og:description: "These are still pretty treacherous waters" og:url: https://time.com/3100243/arctic-ice-ships-climate-change/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59e7c47e9271b880/69869efde53aba39e34d3f14/arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1460 og:image:height: 821 og:image:alt: arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Climate Change: Waves Pose Risk for Ships in Ice-Diminished Arctic twitter:description: "These are still pretty treacherous waters" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59e7c47e9271b880/69869efde53aba39e34d3f14/arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Giant Waves Pose New Risk for Ships in Ice-Diminished Arctic > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. by [NBC News](https://time.com/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Aug 11, 2014 11:47 AM UTC  This map shows the extent of Arctic sea ice in July 2014\. It was 3.19 million square miles (8.25 million square kilometers). The magenta lines show the 1981 to 2010 median extent for that month. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole. This map shows the extent of Arctic sea ice in July 2014\. It was 3.19 million square miles (8.25 million square kilometers). The magenta lines show the 1981 to 2010 median extent for that month. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole.NBC by [NBC News](https://time.com/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Aug 11, 2014 11:47 AM UTC Monster waves should be added to the list of hazards faced by ship captains as they plot a course through the waters of the Arctic Ocean, according to a new study that reports observations of house-sized swells in seas that until recently were covered in ice year-round. “Waves always pose a risk to working at sea,” [study author Jim Thomson](http://www.apl.washington.edu/people/profile.php?last=Thomson&first=Jim), an oceanographer at the University of Washington in Seattle, said via email to NBC News from off the coast of northern Alaska. “The unique thing about the Arctic is that it is changing so rapidly that we cannot apply past measurements to understand future risk…” [Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/giant-waves-pose-new-risk-ships-ice-diminished-arctic-n174481?cid=par-time-article%5F20140811) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3100243/arctic-ice-ships-climate-change/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3100243/arctic-ice-ships-climate-change/"},"headline":"Giant Waves Pose New Risk for Ships in Ice-Diminished Arctic","datePublished":"2014-08-11T11:47:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:35:40.100Z","description":"\"These are still pretty treacherous waters\"","url":"https://time.com/3100243/arctic-ice-ships-climate-change/","keywords":["Environment"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59e7c47e9271b880/69869efde53aba39e34d3f14/arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt59e7c47e9271b880/69869efde53aba39e34d3f14/arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"arctic-ice_4c1712c9c6d1e954a0a70f270dc0286a","caption":"This map shows the extent of Arctic sea ice in July 2014. 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