Ellef Ringnes Island
Closeup of Ellef Ringnes Island and neighbouring islands
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Arctic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 78°37′N 101°56′W / 78.617°N 101.933°WCoordinates: 78°37′N 101°56′W / 78.617°N 101.933°W |
| Archipelago |
Sverdrup Islands Queen Elizabeth Islands Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
| Area | 11,295 km2 (4,361 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 69th |
| Highest elevation | 260 m (850 ft) |
| Highest point | Isachsen Dome |
| Administration | |
| Territory | Nunavut |
| Region | Qikiqtaaluk |
| Largest settlement | Isachsen (pop. 0) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island. It has an area of 11,295 km2 (4,361 sq mi), making it the 69th largest island in the world (slightly larger than Jamaica) and Canada's 16th largest island. Its highest mount is 260 m (850 ft).
The island was named by Otto Sverdrup for Oslo brewer Ellef Ringnes, one of the sponsors of his expedition. It was first sighted by one of his men in 1901. The island was then claimed by Norway from 1902 until the claim was relinquished (in favour of Canada) in 1930.
A High Arctic Weather Station (H.A.W.S.) called Isachsen lies on the west coast of the island. It was opened April 3, 1948 as part of a joint Canada-U.S. military effort to support a weather station network. When it closed on September 19, 1978, it was replaced with an automated weather system. The station represented the only known permanent human settlement of the island.
Ellef Ringnes Island was the last landmass to be visited by the Earth's wandering Magnetic North Pole. In April and May 1994, Larry Newitt, of the Geological Survey of Canada, and Charles Barton, of the Australian Geological Survey Organization, conducted a survey to determine the average position of the North Magnetic Pole at that time. They established a temporary magnetic observatory on Lougheed Island, close to the predicted position of the pole. They determined that the average position of the North Magnetic Pole in 1994 was located on the Noice Peninsula, southwest Ellef Ringnes Island, at 78.3° N, 104.0° W. The pole shifted from the island that year and now lies some 250 miles (400 km) to the NNW.
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