Northernmost High-Resolution Imagery – Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

Although the north coast of Greenland is slightly more northern than Ellesmere Island, Ellesmere Island is still plenty far north at 83.1°N, where we find this lone, random shot of ice breaking up on the Arctic coast of Canada’s northernmost island about 175 km (108 miles) northwest of Alert¹, the northernmost settlement on Earth.

Northernmost City – Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway

With a population of just 75, Alert may be the northernmost permanent settlement but it can hardly be called a city. The northernmost place with a population over 1,000 is Longyearbyen, the capital of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard. Because of both its size (just over 2,000 people) and location (78.2°N), Longyearbyen is home to numerous ‘northernmosts’ – the northernmost church, the northernmost bank machine, and even the northernmost blues festival!

Northernmost Street View – Nordkapp, Norway

At 71.1°N, European Route E69 is the northernmost road connected to continental Europe, snaking its way to the Arctic coast at Nordkapp (North Cape). The Street View images at the end of the road provide viewers with views of the Nordkapphallen tourist centre and a ceremonial cairn.

Northernmost Active Volcano – Beerenberg, Jan Mayen, Norway

The 2,277 m (7,470 ft) Beerenberg forms the backbone of the remote Norwegian Sea island of Jan Mayen at a latitude of 71°N. Beerenberg’s crater may be filled with ice, but fissures on the northeast slope have erupted with lava as recently as 1985.

Northernmost Golf Course – Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

The isolated village of Ulukhaktok on Victoria Island may not have much in the way of grass, but it still has a nine-hole golf course at 70.7°N. It may be hard to see on the satellite imagery, but look very closely and you’ll see little dots along the roadside – these are the artificial greens and tees necessary to play the barren course.

Northernmost Ski Resort – Riksgränsen, Kiruna, Sweden

Surprisingly far south (68.4°N) is the resort of Riksgränsen on the Sweden/Norway border. Almost bereft of trees, Riksgränsen is famous for its steep powder faces and huge rock drops, making it a must-visit for freeriders, extreme skiers, and anyone who enjoys skiing after midnight in the Arctic sun.

Northernmost Banana Plantation – Agricultural University of Iceland, Hveragerði, Iceland

Yes, they actually grow bananas at 64°N! Like many Icelandic towns, Hveragerði is built atop large reserves of geothermal energy – in fact, it lies on the southern slopes of the vast Hengill volcano. The huge amount of underground heat produced by the volcano actually makes it possible to grow bananas here as long as there is a roof overhead to keep away the cool air.

Northernmost Stone Castle – Olavinlinna, Savonlinna, Finland

Dating back to 1475, this three-tower castle sits on a small island at 61.9°N in the heart of the great Saimaa, the fourth-largest lake in Europe. The castle was built by Sweden in order to help lay claim to the land that would become Finland. For the past century, the island castle has served as the stage for the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Northernmost Palm Trees – Southern France

While cultivated palm trees can be grown many hundreds of kilometres north with proper care, the furthest north that palms occur in nature is 44°N in southern France. As seen here on the promenade at Nice, they aren’t exact towering at this latitude; perhaps that’s why this species (Chamaerops humilis) is commonly known as the Mediterranean dwarf palm.

Northernmost Coral Atoll – Kure Atoll, Hawaii, United States

We end our list of northernmost items almost in the tropics. Located at a balmy 28.4°N is Kure Atoll, which is not only the northernmost atoll but the westernmost Hawaiian island. The atoll has but one island, Green Island, which is home to an unmaintained airstrip and an abandoned US Coast Guard station. Kure is set aside as a wildlife sanctuary and is home to tens of thousands of birds.

Locations: Finland, France, Hawaii, Iceland, Northwest Territories, Norway, Nunavut, Sweden / Categories: Islands, Natural Landmarks, Stadiums and Sport, Street Views, Structures, Volcanoes, Weirdness

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The Eyjafjallajökull volcano usually sits hidden under this large glacier seen on Google’s satellite imagery. Now that the volcano is erupting, the heat is melting the glacier sending massive amounts of water down to the farming lands below and forcing local evacuations.

The ash cloud from Eyjafjallajökull has spread over northern Europe, causing massive travel chaos as most airliners are unable to fly through or around the damaging plume. The airspace of many countries was closed almost completely – the largest air traffic shut-down since World War II – which left millions of travellers stranded.

Strangely enough, most of Iceland itself is unaffected by the eruption because the ash continues to blow south, taking it away from populated places like the capital city of Reykjavík.

Scientists monitoring this eruption continue to monitor other volcanoes in the area around Eyjafjallajökull. Perhaps the most observed is Katla, a volcano much larger and more dangerous than Eyjafjallajökull, but also part of the same volcanic system.

In every recorded instance where Eyjafjallajökull erupted, Katla has blown its top as well. In the 1755 eruptions, Katla discharged enough water from nearby glaciers to nearly match the discharge of the Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, and Yangtze rivers combined. Scientists warn that if Katla erupts, the ash plume formed could be much larger than seen from Eyjafjallajökull, due to the massive glacier resting on top of the crater.

As of writing, some airports in northern Europe have announced plans to re-open. Airports such as Manchester and Glasgow are working with airlines to be near full operation by Tuesday evening.

Locations: Iceland / Categories: Volcanoes

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Thanks to Rachel and Lauri Kangas.

Locations: Iceland / Categories: Natural Landmarks

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The opaque water contains silicon which is apparently good for the skin and the water is very warm, even during winter. There’s a little wall here stopping you from going any further out as people have been burned, just going near the wall was quite sore! It’s a surprisingly romantic experience, so much so that I proposed to my fiancée while we were swimming around

Locations: Iceland / Categories: Natural Landmarks

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