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.
