Editing Open Polar Sea (section)

{{Short description|Hypothesized ice-free ocean surrounding the North Pole}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{More footnotes|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Open Polar Sea
| image = Openpolar.jpg
| caption = Silas Bent's 1872 map including the "Supposed Open Sea"
| source = 
| creator = Suggested by [[Robert Thorne (merchant)|Robert Thorne]] in the 16th century
| type = Ice-free ocean in the [[North Pole]] area
| locations = [[Arctic Ocean]]
}}
The '''Open Polar Sea''' was a conjectured ice-free body of water that was believed to encircle the [[North Pole]]. Although this theory was widely accepted and served as a basis for many exploratory expeditions aimed at reaching the North Pole by sea or discovering a navigable route between Europe and the Pacific via the North Pole, it was ultimately proven to be untrue.

However, [[global warming]] could [[Arctic shrinkage|open large areas]] of the Arctic Ocean by the end of the 21st century.