There’s a New Tallest Peak in the North American Arctic
Settling an old debate, a new remote sensing technique establishes that Mt. Isto in northeastern Alaska is taller than surrounding peaks.
Arctic Alaska is so remote and inaccessible that there have been few accurate maps of much of its terrain. This puts pilots at risk of crashing into peaks and adds uncertainty for oil developers building pipelines.
This problem has been in particular focus in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska, where scientists have debated which is the region’s highest peak—Mt. Chamberlin or Mt. Isto.
But a new analysis, based on new mapping technology, has found that Isto is indeed taller, at 8,976 feet (2,736 meters). The next highest is actually Mt. Hubley, at 8,917 feet (2,718 meters), followed by Chamberlin at 8,901 feet (2,713 meters). These new measurements also show that Isto is about 330 feet (100 meters)
