Kangerlussuaq Fjord ( kl, Kangerlussuaq, meaning 'large fjord'; da, Stor Fjord) is a fjord in eastern
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
. It is part of the
Sermersooq
Sermersooq (, da, sted med meget is, lit=place of much ice) is a municipality in Greenland, formed on 1 January 2009 from five earlier, smaller municipalities. Its administrative seat is the city of Nuuk (formerly called Godthåb), the capital ...
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
.
The fjord was named by the
East-Greenland Coast Expedition led by
Georg Carl Amdrup in 1900. Currently
drilling
Drilling is a cutting process where a drill bit is spun to cut a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials. The drill bit is usually a rotary cutting tool, often multi-point. The bit is pressed against the work-piece and rotated at ra ...
explorations are being carried out for the possible exploitation of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
,
palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself na ...
and
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
in the Kangerlussuaq area.
Project Update and Activities
' (PDF; 1,9 MB), Platina Resources Ltd., 26. Februar 2014 (englisch)
History
The eastern coast of Greenland was inhabited by
Paleo-Eskimo
The Paleo-Eskimo (also pre-Thule or pre-Inuit) were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka (e.g., Chertov Ovrag) in present-day Russia across North America to Greenland prior to the arrival of the mode ...
people 4000 years ago and the Kangerlussuaq Fjord was likely visited by hunters. A
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
hand scraper
A hand scraper is a single-edged tool used to scrape metal or other materials from a surface. This may be required where a surface needs to be trued, corrected for fit to a mating part, needs to retain oil (usually on a freshly ground surfa ...
found in
Cape Irminger —24 km east of Cape Hammer— proves that the region was visited at least 2000 years ago.
[Christian Glahder: ''Hunting in Kangerlussuaq, East Greenland, 1951–1991. An Assessment of Local Knowledge'' (= ''Meddelelser om Grønland, Man & Society'', Nr. 19, 1995)]
p. 12
/ref> Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
lived in the area between the late 13th century and the early 19th century.[Skaergaard history](_blank)
/ref>
Remains of Inuit dwellings were found in 1900 when the first Europeans reached this remote fjord during Georg Amdrup's East-Greenland Coast Expedition. However, the first archaeological excavations on the Skaergaard intrusion
The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered igneous intrusion in the Kangerlussuaq area, East Greenland. It comprises various rock types including gabbro, ferro diorite, anorthosite and granophyre.
Discovered by Lawrence Wager
in 1931 during the Br ...
were carried out by members of the Second East-Greenland Expedition of the Scoresbysund Committee led by Ejnar Mikkelsen
Ejnar Mikkelsen (December 23, 1880 – May 1, 1971) was a Danish polar explorer and author. He is most known for his expeditions to Greenland.
Biography
Mikkelsen was born in Vester Brønderslev, Jutland. He served in the Georg Carl Amdrup exp ...
in 1932.
On the occasion of the Second International Polar Year
The International Polar Years (IPY) are collaborative, international efforts with intensive research focus on the polar regions. Karl Weyprecht, an Austro-Hungarian naval officer, motivated the endeavor in 1875, but died before it first occurred i ...
in 1932 a Norwegian weather and radio station named "Storfjord/LMR"[Kystradio - Stasjonshistorie]
/ref> began operations at Mud Bay ''(Mudderbugten)'' on the southwest side of Kangerlussuaq Fjord. The station ceased operations in 1933.[Norwegian Polar Year and Radio Stations in East Greenland, 1932–33](_blank)
/ref>
In 1945 there was a hunters colony near the mouth of the fjord and a US run weather station was established on the Skaergaard intrusion. The weather station was moved in 1949 to North Apulileeq ''(Nordre Aputiteq)'' island, located about 45 km to the southwest off Cape Edvard Holm.
Geography
This fjord is located in King Christian IX Land
King Christian IX Land ( da, Kong Christian IX Land) is a coastal area of Southeastern Greenland in Sermersooq Municipality fronting the Denmark Strait and extending through the Arctic Circle from 65°N to 70°N.
History
This area was named i ...
, roughly midway between Scoresby Sound
Scoresby Sound (Danish: ''Scoresby Sund'', Greenlandic: ''Kangertittivaq'') is a large fjord system of the Greenland Sea on the eastern coast of Greenland. It has a tree-like structure, with a main body approximately [Sermilik Fjord
Sermilik ( da, Egede og Rothes Fjord) is a fjord in eastern Greenland. It is part of the Sermersooq municipality.
The settlement of Tasiilaq is located about 15 km to the east of the mouth of the fjord.
Geography
This fjord, whose Gre ...]
and marks the southern limit of the Blosseville Coast
The Blosseville Coast ( da, Blosseville Kyst) is a long stretch of coast in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively it belongs to the Sermersooq Municipality.
The Blosseville Coast is steep and difficult to access by ship owing ...
. It is the second-largest fjord in the southeastern coast of Greenland. Its waters are fed by the huge Kangerlussuaq Glacier
Kangerlussuaq Glacier ( kl, Kangerlussuaq, meaning 'large fjord'; old spelling ''Kangerdlugssuaq'') is the largest glacier on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet. It flows into the head of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, the second largest fjord i ...
, the largest glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet
The Greenland ice sheet ( da, Grønlands indlandsis, kl, Sermersuaq) is a vast body of ice covering , roughly near 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is sometimes referred to as an ice cap, or under the term ''inland ice'', or its Danish equiva ...
, among other not so large active glaciers such as the Hutchinson Glacier
The Hutchinson Glacier ( da, Hutchinson Gletscher) is a large active glacier on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.
This glacier was named after American aviator George R. Hutchinson who crash-landed and was stranded in the area in 1932 du ...
near its southern entrance. The fjord stretches inland in a roughly NW direction and its mouth is located between Cape Deichmann and Cape Hammer in the Denmark Strait
The Denmark Strait () or Greenland Strait ( , 'Greenland Sound') is an oceanic strait between Greenland to its northwest and Iceland to its southeast. The Norwegian island of Jan Mayen lies northeast of the strait.
Geography
The strait connect ...
area of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Nordfjord, Courtauld Fjord, Amdrup Fjord ''(Atterteq)'' and Watkins Fjord ''(Torsukattak)'' are smaller side fjords within the Kangerlussuaq Fjord system.[Christian Glahder: ''Hunting in Kangerlussuaq, East Greenland, 1951–1991. An Assessment of Local Knowledge'' (= ''Meddelelser om Grønland, Man & Society'', Nr. 19, 1995)]
p. 10
(englisch) Kraemer Island lies at the entrance of Watkins Fjord, separated from the Skaergaard intrusion
The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered igneous intrusion in the Kangerlussuaq area, East Greenland. It comprises various rock types including gabbro, ferro diorite, anorthosite and granophyre.
Discovered by Lawrence Wager
in 1931 during the Br ...
on the northern shore of Kangerlussuaq Fjord by the narrow Uttental Sund. Kangerlussuaq Fjord is a deep fjord with strong and dangerous currents.
Mountains
Near the fjord's entrance its sides widen, forming an impressive bay surrounded by towering cliffs and high mountains, such as the 1,660 m high Batbjerg to the northwest[''Prostar Sailing Directions 2005 Greenland and Iceland Enroute'', p. 109] and the mountainous upland of the Nordfjord Plateau to the northeast.
The Redekammen and the Kangerlussuaq Tinde are nunatak
A nunatak (from Inuit ''nunataq'') is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They are also called glacial islands. Examples are natural pyramidal peaks. ...
s located to the west, the Prince of Wales Range ''(Prinsen af Wales Bjerge)'' is located to the north and the Lemon Range
The Lemon Range or Lemon Mountains ( da, Lemon Bjerge) is a mountain range in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Sermersooq Municipality.
History
The range was named by Gino Watkins after Captai ...
to the east of the fjord. The Crown Prince Frederick Range
The Crown Prince Frederick Range ( da, Kronprins Frederik Bjerge) is a large mountain range in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Sermersooq Municipality.
Despite being relatively unknown it has ...
stretches southwestwards to the southwest of the fjord.
Geology
The area around Kangerlussuaq has been known for its unique geology since the 1930s regarding the many intrusions where magma from the earth's interior has been forced into the earth's crust. The Skaergaard intrusion
The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered igneous intrusion in the Kangerlussuaq area, East Greenland. It comprises various rock types including gabbro, ferro diorite, anorthosite and granophyre.
Discovered by Lawrence Wager
in 1931 during the Br ...
that was discovered by Lawrence Wager
Lawrence Rickard Wager, commonly known as Bill Wager, (5 February 1904 – 20 November 1965) was a British geologist, explorer and mountaineer, described as "one of the finest geological thinkers of his generation"Vincent and best remembered for ...
in 1931 during the British Arctic Air Route Expedition is especially well-known.[Per Ivar Haug: ]
Gazetteer of Greenland
'' (= ''Til Opplysning'' Nr. 15), Universitätsbibliothek Trondheim, Trondheim 2005,
Climate
Tundra climate
The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. undra climate https://www.britannica.com/science/tundra-climateThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019 It is classified as ET according to Köppen ...
prevails in the region of the fjord. The average annual temperature in the Kangerlussuaq Fjord area is -11 °C . The warmest month is July when the average temperature rises to 2 °C, and the coldest is March, with -18 °C.
See also
*List of fjords of Greenland
This is a list of the most important fjords of Greenland:In Northern Greenland, a large area made up entirely of fjords; therefore Peary Land above not a fjord but a fjord area.In Northeastern Greenland, a large area made up entirely of fjor ...
*Skaergaard intrusion
The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered igneous intrusion in the Kangerlussuaq area, East Greenland. It comprises various rock types including gabbro, ferro diorite, anorthosite and granophyre.
Discovered by Lawrence Wager
in 1931 during the Br ...
*Torgilsbu
Torgilsbu was a Norwegian hunting, meteorological and radio station (Torgilsbu Radio/LMQ) located on the King Frederick VI Coast, Southeastern Greenland.
Administratively the area were the hut stood belongs now to the Kujalleq municipality.
The ...
and Finnsbu
Finnsbu was a Norwegian hunting, meteorological and radio station (Finnsbu Radio/LMX) located on the King Frederick VI Coast, Southeastern Greenland.
Administratively the area were the hut stood belongs now to the Sermersooq municipality.
The s ...
Bibliography
*
Notes
References
External links
*
Cruise Report - British Oceanographic Data Centre
{{Authority control
Fjords of Greenland