29 July 2014, by Matthew Shupe [76N, 147E]:
It really is a mystery, this plume that emanates from Bennett Island in satellite images (you can read about it on Wikipedia). Some have hypothesized that wind riding up over the rather abrupt island causes clouds to form. Others think there is local geothermal activity. Some onboard hope to see abundant methane in the area. Whatever the cause, Bennett is our current focus. For the last day and a half we have been circling around it. Our first land sighting since leaving the Norwegian coastline. It is a welcome sight, and we have actually been greeted by somewhat clearing skies. So we get sun and views. People are generally in a brighter mood. Bennett Island is rather barren, mostly brown with steep rocky banks jutting up from the ocean. Capped on top by an ice sheet, a few drainage glaciers head down to the sea. While I’m not sure they have anything to do with the island itself, there have been fantastic clouds this morning–layers, waves, colors, and sun reflections.
Clouds and Bennet Island.
