Geo answer

The World
The World
We plunge into the icy waters of the Russian Arctic for today's geo-quiz. Our destination is a mountainous island - much of it covered in glaciers. It's the southernmost island of the North Land group. Explorers had such a tough time navigating in these often ice-bound waters that detailed maps weren't available until the 1930s. The island we've got in our sights now is just off the Taymyr Peninsula on the Arctic coast of Siberia. Some Russians would like to rename the island. Perhaps they're not so nostalgic for the Soviet days. Here's a big hint: the island is named after the faction that seized power in Russia during the October Revolution. These days you might hitch a ride to the island on a submarine. Do you have it in your periscope now, comrade? For today's Geo Quiz, we patrolled waters off the Arctic coast of Siberia. We wanted to know the name of the southernmost island of the North Land archipelago. The answer is: Bolshevik Island. Captain Alfred McLaren (US Navy) commanded a nuclear submarine that visited Bolshevik Island in 1970. NASA satellite image of Bolshevik IslandNASA satellite image of Bolshevik Island His sub, "the Queenfish," was on a clandestine mission to map thousands of miles of ocean floor in waters the Soviets claimed as their territory. The secret mapping project was in anticipation of possible war in the Arctic. McLaren recounts the mission in his new book, "Unknown Waters."
Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.