Northernmost point of land

Kaffeklubben Island in 2008

The northernmost point of land on Earth is a contentious issue due to variation of definition. How permanent some of the contenders are makes hard determination difficult, but sets an important threshold. Problematic issues include ice sheets, water movements and inundation, storm activity that may build, shift, or destroy banks of moraine material, and observational difficulties due to remoteness.

The following table sets out the main contenders for this title.

Island name Coordinates Distance from the North Pole Discovered by Discovery year Permanent Notes
83-42[1] 83°42′05.2″N, 30°38′49.4″W 700.5 km Dennis Schmitt 2003 unknown 35 m by 15 m and 4 m high
[no record, needs confirmation] 83°41'N, 31°6'W 702.4km 2008 Ultima Thule expedition 2008 unknown needs verification
RTOW2001 83°41′06″N, 30°45′36″W 702.5 km RTOWexpedition 2001 unknown
ATOW1996[2] 83°40′34.8″N, 30°38′38.6″W 703.2km ATOWexpedition 1996 unknown 10 m long and 1 m high
Stray Dog West[3][4] 83°40'37”N, 31°12'W 703.3km Dennis Schmitt 2007 unknown needs confirmation
Qeqertaq Avannarleq[5][6] 83°40'17"N, 30°42'43"W 703.4 km[7] Morten Rasch 2021 unknown 30 m by 60 m and 3-4 m high
Oodaaq 83°40′N, 30°40′W 704.2km Uffe Petersen 1978 no 15 m by 8 m, appears to be submerged periodically
Kaffeklubben[8] 83°39′45″N, 29°50′W 704.7 km Robert Peary 1900 yes 700 m by 300 m by 30 m high
Cape Morris Jesup 83°37′39″N, 32°39′52″W 708.6 km Robert Peary 1900 yes northernmost tip of Greenland

Currently, Kaffeklubben Island is the northernmost, undisputed candidate among the land areas considered permanent that remain above water.

See also

References

  1. ^ The World's Northernmost Point Is Called 83-42. Maybe. The Daily Traveller, February 16, 2012
  2. ^ Jancik, John; Richardson, Javana; & Gardiner, Steve (2002). Under the Midnight Sun: The Ascent of John Denver Peak and the Search for the Northernmost Point of Land on Earth.
  3. ^ Stray Dog West photograph Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine taken on 2007-07-16.
  4. ^ John H. Richardson, Journey to the End of the Earth Esquire Magazine 2007-09-18.
  5. ^ "Scientists discover 'world's northernmost island' off Greenland's coast". The Guardian. Reuters. August 27, 2021. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  6. ^ "Arctic expedition discovers the most northerly island on Earth". University of Copenhagen. August 27, 2021. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Will the discovery of 'Qeqertaq Avannarleq' rekindle the game of one-upmanship among the Arctic countries?". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  8. ^ Funder, S.; Larsen, O. (Nov 15, 1982). "Implications of volcanic erratics in Quaternary deposits of North Greenland" (PDF). Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark. 31: 57–61. ISSN 0011-6297.