ATOW1996 was one of the places formerly considered as a potential northernmost documented points of land on Earth. It was a small patch of gravel about 10 metres (33 feet) long and one metre high, located several miles north of Cape Morris Jesup in northern Greenland at 83°40′34.8″N 30°38′38.6″W / 83.676333°N 30.644056°W. It was discovered by and named after the (American) Top of the World Expedition of 1996, but appears to have been non-permanent, likely a patch of gravel and boulders on ice from elsewhere.
A non-permanent island even farther north—at 83°41′06″N 30°45′36″W / 83.68500°N 30.76000°W—was noted in a Twin Otter flyover by the 2001 Return to the Top of the World Expedition (RTOW2001). This expedition also confirmed the continuing existence of ATOW1996, however later study suggests it is not a true island (see below).
