Qeqertaq Avannarleq

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Qeqertaq Avannarleq (Greenlandic for 'the northernmost island')[1] is the unofficial name for a previously uncharted island in the Arctic Ocean that was discovered in August 2021. It is within the Arctic Circle off of the northern tip of Greenland. The island consists primarily of seabed mud and moraine, an accumulation of unconsolidated debris left behind by glaciers. A theory as to its creation is that it was formed relatively recently, during a violent storm.

This gravel bank is among the candidates to be recognized as the northernmost land and the land nearest to the North Pole.[2][3] The status of some of the candidates is disputed because they may be temporary formations and this island is among those. An undisputed candidate, Kaffeklubben Island is classified as permanent, being discovered in 1900 A.D., and being 750 metres (2,460 ft) farther north than Cape Morris Jesup, the northernmost point of mainland Greenland.

Initially, scientists were out to visit Oodaaq, a similar land formation discovered in the 1970s that also is among those in contention to be the most northerly point of land. But what they thought, due to a GPS error, was Oodaaq, later turned out to be previously unknown island 780 metres (2,560 ft) north-west of Oodaaq. The previously unknown island measures approximately 60 m × 30 m (197 ft × 98 ft), with a maximum elevation of around 3 metres (9.8 ft).[4][5] The scientists proposed the unknown island be called "Qeqertaq Avannarleq", Greenlandic for "the northernmost island".

The realisation that scientist had found a new landmass went as follows: when photographs of a landing on Qeqertaq Avannarleq were posted to social media, a group of hobbyist adventurers known as 'island hunters' prompted further investigation. Morten Rasch of the University of Copenhagen department of geosciences and natural resource management contacted an expert at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). "Together with DTU, we realized that my GPS had erred, leading us to believe that we were on Oodaaq. In fact, we had just discovered a new island further north, a discovery that ever so slightly expands the Kingdom", explained Rasch.[6] The location was confirmed later by the GPS on the helicopter that was used by the group to reach the island.

It is likely that Qeqertaq Avannarleq is a "short-lived islet", however, research is still impending. "No one knows how long it will remain. In principle, it could vanish as soon as a powerful new storm hits", Rasch stated.[6] Rene Forsberg, head of geodynamics at the National Space Institute in Denmark, said Qeqertaq Avannarleq "meets the criteria of an island", though he noted that "these small islands come and go".[5]

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References[]

  1. ^ Gronholt-Pedersen, Jacob (28 August 2021). "Greenland expedition discover 'world's northernmost island'". www.msn.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Greenland island is world's northernmost island - scientists". BBC News. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ^ Breum, Martin (27 August 2021). "Længere nordpå end nogensinde". Weekendavisen (in Danish). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Scientists discover world's northernmost island". RNZ. BBC. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Scientists discover 'world's northernmost island' off Greenland's coast". The Guardian. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b team, Media (1 September 2021). "Arctic expedition discovers the most northerly island on Earth". news.ku.dk. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
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