North Pole Since 2002, the Russians have also annually established a base, Barneo, close to the Pole. This operates for a few weeks during early spring. Studies in the 2000s predicted that the North Pole may become seasonally ice-free because of Arctic ice shrinkage, with timescales varying from 2016 to the late 21st century or later. The sea depth at the North Pole has been measured at by the Russian Mir submersible in 2007 and at 4,087 m (13,410 ft) by USS "Nautilus" in 1958. The nearest land is usually said to be Kaffeklubben Island, off the northern coast of Greenland about
The Sea of Ice 1824 expeditions to the North Pole. The two titles originally referred to the present work and another older work by Friedrich, now missing. The lost painting was shown in 1822 at the Dresden Academy exhibition under the title "A Wrecked Ship off the Coast of Greenland in the Moonlight. Own Invention". The present painting was first shown in 1824 at the Prague Academy exhibition under the title "An Idealized Scene of an Arctic Sea, with a Wrecked Ship on the Heaped Masses of Ice". In Friedrich's estate this work was described as "Ice Picture. The Disaster-stricken North Pole Expedition". The