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Scientists imagine they’ve found the world’s northernmost island throughout an expedition off the coast of Greenland – by mistake.
“It was not our intention to find a brand new island,” mentioned Morten Rasch, a polar explorer and head of the power. “We simply went there to gather samples.”
The scientists initially thought they’d arrived at Oodaaq, an island found by a Danish survey crew in 1978. Solely later, when checking the precise location, they realised they’d visited one other island 780 metres northwest which was revealed by shifting pack ice.
“Everyone was pleased that we discovered what we thought was Oodaaq island,” mentioned Swiss entrepreneur Christiane Leister, creator of the Leister Basis that financed the expedition.
“It is a bit like explorers up to now, who thought they’d landed in a sure place however really discovered a very completely different place.”
Whereas veteran explorer Dennis Schmitt has pushed the seek for the island, discovering one close by in 2007, the search additionally carries potential vital geopolitical implications – with a battle over management, fishing rights and delivery routes brewing between nations such because the US, Russia, China, Denmark and Norway.
The small island, measuring roughly 30 metres throughout and a peak of about three metres, consists of seabed mud, soil and rock left behind by transferring glaciers – however scientists mentioned the island’s look was not a direct consequence of world warming, which has been shrinking Greenland’s ice sheet.
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