Here's another chance to play geographical detective! This Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) image covers an area measuring 350 kilometers x 415 kilometers, and was captured by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on August 20, 2001. Use any reference materials you like and answer the following four questions:

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.

3. Which fish play important roles in the lifestyle and economy of this coastal region? Choose A, B, or C:
(A) Tetrapturus audax and Euthynnus affinis
(B) Gadus morhua and Melanogrammus aeglefinus
(C) Seriola lalandei and Scomberomorus plurilineatus

Answer: B
The current (mentioned in question 2) is also a contributing factor to the rich fisheries of the North Sea region. 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.

40 people from all over the world sent in responses before the deadline. Individuals who answered all four questions correctly are listed below. The eligible prize winners are indicated by asterisks.

1. Jon Lines, McMinnville TN, USA*
2. Earl Hansen, Pasadena, CA, USA
3. Kathleen Crean, Pasadena, CA, USA
4. Bill Kinnersley, Lawrence, KS, USA*
5. Skeeter Woodrow, League City, TX, USA*
6. Ugo Taddei, Germany
7. Paul Waddington, Rome, Italy
8. Dr. Wolfgang Badenheim, Germany
9. Chris Francis, Keswick, England
10. Ellen Leske, Dresden, Germany
11. CFM, NER & MSF, New Braunfels, TX, USA
12. Bob Portnell, Sparks, USA
    Jan Hendriks, Hintham, The Netherlands
    Harvey Mills, London, UK
13. Diane Melin, Pasadena, CA, USA
14. Nick Rassenti
15. David Gardner, Alta Loma, CA, USA
16. Mike Fahay, Locust, NJ, USA
17. Uwe Kimm, Braunschweig, Germany
18. Jeroen Aarsen, Sittard, The Netherlands
19. Eric Bull, Los Angeles, CA, USA
20. klt1, France
21. Bengt Lundén, Stockholm, Sweden
22. Gordon Stewart
23. Kip McDowell, Farmington NY, USA
24. Sebastian Maus, Germany
25. Andreas Bauer, Luftenberg, Austria
26. Ulrich Enderle, Bramstedtlund, Germany
27. Monika Draga, Bad Kissingen, Germany
28. Christoph Roesrath, Berlin, Germany
29. Oliver Morton, London, UK
30. Vido Gian Luigi, Marcheno, Italy

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

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