Where on Earth...? MISR Mystery Image Quiz #3: Norway

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This Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) image of Norway's coastline covers an area measuring 350 kilometers x 415 kilometers, and was captured by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on August 20, 2001. Answers to the questions are provided.

1. Which nation's coastline is featured in this image?

   • This glaciated coastline of Norway is deeply indented by fjords, rises precipitously to high plateaus, and is united with the ocean by numerous islands. This MISR image from Terra orbit 8899 displays some of intricate patterns of the ocean currents in the Vestfjorden between the mainland and Lofoten islands, in addition to many fjords, lakes and mountains.

2. True or False?
   A large-scale ocean current typically causes winters in this coastal area to be colder than other locations at the same latitude.

   • Answer: False
     Although much of Norway is north of the Arctic Circle, the climate of the coastal areas is warmer than locations at similar latitudes. The warming is brought by the ocean and air currents of the North Atlantic branch of the Gulf Stream. This current is also a contributing factor to the rich fisheries of the North Sea region.

3. Which fish play important roles in the lifestyle and economy of this coastal region? Choose A, B, or C:

   1. Tetrapturus audax and Euthynnus affinis
   2. Gadus morhua and Melanogrammus aeglefinus
   3. Seriola lalandei and Scomberomorus plurilineatus

   • Answer: B
     Fishing remains one of the most important occupations in coastal Norway. Gadus morhua (Atlantic Cod) and Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Haddock) are among the major economically important species.

4. An American author wrote a short work of fiction inspired by a phenomenon associated with the area shown in the lower left portion of the image. The story was published in 1841. Who is the author and what is the title of the story?

   • Near the island of Mosken, close to the tip of the Lofoten archipelago, a strong tidal current has been widely known for centuries to occasionally form a strong and dangerous whirlpool - the Maelstrom. It gained notoriety through numerous fictional tales, including "A Descent Into the Maelstrom" by the American author Edgar Allan Poe. Modern scientific studies of the whirlpool are incomplete, but so far these studies are only faintly reminiscent of the monster eddies described in the old literature.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team.