Nuussuaq Peninsula (Upernavik Archipelago)
Encyclopedia
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula
in northwestern Greenland
, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago
, approximately 70 km (43.5 mi) to the south of Melville Bay
. It is much smaller than its namesake
in western Greenland.
located at 74°22′30"N 56°00′00"W, and rising to 280 m (918.6 ft) above the Greenland ice sheet
reaching the sea level to the south and north of the nunatak. The peninsula has a southwest-northwest orientation, jutting into Baffin Bay
to the southwest, separating the Nuussuup Kangia
fjord in the southeast from the Inussulik Bay
in the northwest.
The peninsula is narrow, approximately 52 km (32.3 mi) long, and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, narrowing to a 2 km (1.2 mi) isthmus
in several places. It is very mountainous, culminating in two 860 km (534.4 mi) peaks in its central part. The mountain tops at the spine of the peninsula are partially glaciated
, with the Sermikassaq mountain glacier flowing to the north from the highest point.
While the small bay near the Nuussuaq
settlement provides a sheltered harbour, the remainder of the southeastern coastline is not developed. There are several fjords on the northwestern shore, from Qasigialissuaq in the southwest, to Qasigiassuit and much larger Kangerluarsuk in the northeast. The latter separates the peninsula from Illulissuaq Peninsula
, a smaller peninsula branching off Nuussuaq Peninsula west of its base. The only island of any size in Inussulik Bay off the northern coast is the flooded mountain of Illoorfik Island
.
, a village located on Ukkusissat Peninsula in the Uummannaq Fjord
region 382 km (237.4 mi) to the south, and Savissivik
at the northern end of Melville Bay, 313 km (194.5 mi) to the north. The Nuussuaq
settlement is located east of the Nuussuup Nuua, the southwestern cape at 74°05′35"N 57°16′40"W.
. Tourism in the region is very undeveloped, and there are no facilities. The coastline of the peninsula can be explored by chartering the boats of the local seal
hunters.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
in northwestern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast archipelago of small islands in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, approximately 70 km (43.5 mi) to the south of Melville Bay
Melville Bay
Melville Bay , is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, Qimusseriarsuaq, means "the great dog sledding place"....
. It is much smaller than its namesake
Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a large peninsula in western Greenland.- Geography :The waters around the peninsula are that of Baffin Bay. To the south and southwest the peninsula is bounded by Disko Bay, an inlet of Baffin Bay. It is separated from Qeqertarsuaq Island by Sullorsuaq Strait which...
in western Greenland.
Geography
The base of the peninsula is a nunatakNunatak
A nunatak is an exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier. The term is typically used in areas where a permanent ice sheet is present...
located at 74°22′30"N 56°00′00"W, and rising to 280 m (918.6 ft) above the Greenland ice sheet
Greenland ice sheet
The Greenland ice sheet is a vast body of ice covering , roughly 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is the second largest ice body in the world, after the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The ice sheet is almost long in a north-south direction, and its greatest width is at a latitude of 77°N, near its...
reaching the sea level to the south and north of the nunatak. The peninsula has a southwest-northwest orientation, jutting into Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
to the southwest, separating the Nuussuup Kangia
Nuussuup Kangia
Nuussuup Kangia is a fjord in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago.- Geography :...
fjord in the southeast from the Inussulik Bay
Inussulik Bay
Inussulik Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The bay is located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago, between Kiatassuaq Island in the north and Nuussuaq Peninsula in the south...
in the northwest.
The peninsula is narrow, approximately 52 km (32.3 mi) long, and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, narrowing to a 2 km (1.2 mi) isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
in several places. It is very mountainous, culminating in two 860 km (534.4 mi) peaks in its central part. The mountain tops at the spine of the peninsula are partially glaciated
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
, with the Sermikassaq mountain glacier flowing to the north from the highest point.
While the small bay near the Nuussuaq
Nuussuaq
Nuussuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was...
settlement provides a sheltered harbour, the remainder of the southeastern coastline is not developed. There are several fjords on the northwestern shore, from Qasigialissuaq in the southwest, to Qasigiassuit and much larger Kangerluarsuk in the northeast. The latter separates the peninsula from Illulissuaq Peninsula
Illulissuaq Peninsula
Illulissuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago- History :...
, a smaller peninsula branching off Nuussuaq Peninsula west of its base. The only island of any size in Inussulik Bay off the northern coast is the flooded mountain of Illoorfik Island
Illoorfik Island
Illoorfik Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The island is a single flooded mountain of .- Geography :...
.
Settlement
Although there are many island settlements in the region, Nuussuaq Peninsula is the only permanently inhabited part of the approximately 700 kilometres (435 mi) long stretch of the mainland of Greenland between UkkusissatUkkusissat
Ukkusissat is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. The population of the settlement was 170 in 2010.- Geography :...
, a village located on Ukkusissat Peninsula in the Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
region 382 km (237.4 mi) to the south, and Savissivik
Savissivik
Savissivik is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northern Greenland...
at the northern end of Melville Bay, 313 km (194.5 mi) to the north. The Nuussuaq
Nuussuaq
Nuussuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was...
settlement is located east of the Nuussuup Nuua, the southwestern cape at 74°05′35"N 57°16′40"W.
Tourism
There are several trails across the peninsula, but the mountainous interior is limited to mountaineeringMountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. Tourism in the region is very undeveloped, and there are no facilities. The coastline of the peninsula can be explored by chartering the boats of the local seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
hunters.