 Eroded remnants of the island in 2020 | |
  Kolbeinsey | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Greenland Sea |
| Coordinates | 67°09′02″N 18°41′01″W / 67.15056°N 18.68361°W |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Kolbeinsey (Icelandic: [ˈkʰɔlˌpeinsˌeiː] ; also known as Kolbeinn's Isle, Seagull Rock, Mevenklint, Mevenklip, or Meeuw Steen)[1] is a small Icelandic islet in the Greenland Sea located 105 kilometres (55 nautical miles) off the northern coast of Iceland, 74 km (40 nmi) north-northwest of the island of Grímsey. It is the northernmost point of Iceland and lies north of the Arctic Circle. The islet is named after Kolbeinn Sigmundsson, from Kolbeinsdalur in Skagafjörður, who according to Svarfdæla saga is said to have broken his ship there and died with his men.[2]
A basalt landform, devoid of vegetation, Kolbeinsey is subject to rapid wave erosion and is expected to disappear in the near future. Erosion rate data from 1994 suggested that this would happen around 2020.[3] In August 2020, English YouTuber Tom Scott published a video confirming the continued existence of the island, with two skerries still visible at low tide.[4] As of April 2021[update], two small skerries remained visible at low tide.[5][6]
- ^ Ringler, Dick (August 1996). "Jónas Hallgrímsson: Kolbeinn's Isle (Kolbeinsey)". University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Svarfdæla saga". www.snerpa.is. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Sæmundsson, Kristján; Hjartarson, Árni (1994). "Geology and erosion of Kolbeinsey". In Gísli Viggóson (ed.). Proceedings of the Hornafjörlur International Costal Symposium. Orkustofnun (National Energy Authority of Iceland). pp. 443–451. Archived from the original on 9 January 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
- ^ Is the most northern part of Iceland still there?, 17 August 2020, retrieved 2023-11-14
- ^ "Annasamt og eftirminnilegt ár að baki". Landhelgisgæsla Íslands (in Icelandic). 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Fontaine, Andie Sophia (28 April 2021). "VIDEO: Kolbeinsey, Iceland's Northernmost Island, Is Hanging In There". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2022.