Sugar Loaf Bay
Encyclopedia
Sugar Loaf Bay is a bay
in the Upernavik Archipelago
in the Qaasuitsup
municipality in northwestern Greenland
. It is an indentiation of northeastern Baffin Bay
. The name of the bay derives from the name of an island of the same name in the bay, Sugar Loaf Island
' onMouseout='HidePop("84538")' href="/topics/Uummannaq_Island">Uummannaq Island
).
in the south and Nuussuaq Peninsula
in the north.
At its widest − from the Nuussuup Nuua promontory on Nuussuaq Peninsula to the Nuussua cape on Kittorsaq Island − Sugar Loaf Bay stretches for 22.5 km (14 mi). The length of the bay reaches its maximum of 41.3 km (25.7 mi) at the point where the Greenland ice sheet
drains into the bay via Cornell Glacier
.
in the bay, scattered over the entire area of the bay. Amitsorsuaq Island
is the largest island in the bay, forming its southern boundary, and together with Nasaussaq Island
separating the bay from the Nasaussap Saqqaa
fjord.
Ikermiorsuaq Island
occupies the center of the bay, while in the northern part of the bay there is a chain of islands paralleling the coastline of Nuussuaq Peninsula. These are, from northeast to southwest: the small Inussulikassak, Paornarqortut, Itissaalik
(the largest of the chain), Saarlia, Timilersua
(the second-largest), and Sugar Loaf Island.
In the south, Kittorsaq Island and the northwestern corner of Qullikorsuit Island define the southern end of the bay, at the mouth of Nuussuap Saqqaa Fjord.
(1108 m (3,635.2 ft)), Orsugissap Qaqqarsua
(800 m (2,624.7 ft)), and Niaqornarsuaq
(410 m (1,345.1 ft)).
in the northeast and Nasaussap Saqqaa fjord in the southeast are prominent tributary fjords, the former forming an inward extension of the bay. In the east, Ieralassuit and Niaqornasuup Iterlaa' are smaller indentiations between the mainland nunataqs.
is the only settlement in the bay, located east of the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula. The bay is used as an inner waterway linking the settlements, offering partial shelter from the open waters of Baffin Bay for fishermen and hunters.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
in the 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...
in the Qaasuitsup
Qaasuitsup
Qaasuitsup is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. As of January 2010 its population is 17,749. The administrative center of the municipality is in Ilulissat...
municipality 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...
. It is an indentiation of northeastern 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...
. The name of the bay derives from the name of an island of the same name in the bay, Sugar Loaf Island
Sugar Loaf Island
Sugar Loaf Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The island is a single flooded mountain of . Its name means "heart-shaped" in the Greenlandic language...
' onMouseout='HidePop("84538")' href="/topics/Uummannaq_Island">Uummannaq Island
Uummannaq Island
Uummannaq Island is a small island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. Located in the south-central part of the Uummannaq Fjord, it is home to the most prominent mountain on the Arctic coast of western Greenland, and to Uummannaq, the largest town north of Ilulissat.The...
).
Geography
The bay is located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago, between Qullikorsuit IslandQullikorsuit Island
Qullikorsuit Island is an uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago.- History :...
in the south and Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula (Upernavik Archipelago)
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago, approximately to the south of Melville Bay...
in the north.
At its widest − from the Nuussuup Nuua promontory on Nuussuaq Peninsula to the Nuussua cape on Kittorsaq Island − Sugar Loaf Bay stretches for 22.5 km (14 mi). The length of the bay reaches its maximum of 41.3 km (25.7 mi) at the point where 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...
drains into the bay via Cornell Glacier
Cornell Glacier
Cornell Glacier is a tidewater glacier in the Qaasuitsup municipality on the northwestern shore of Greenland. It drains the Greenland ice sheet westwards into Nuussuup Kangia, a fjord inlet of Sugar Loaf Bay, to the east of the base of Nuussuaq Peninsula....
.
Islands
There are several islands and skerriesSkerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
in the bay, scattered over the entire area of the bay. Amitsorsuaq Island
Amitsorsuaq Island
Amitsorsuaq Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :Amitsorsuaq Island is located in the north-central part of Upernavik Archipelago, in the group between Kangerlussuaq Icefjord in the south, and Nuussuaq Peninsula in the...
is the largest island in the bay, forming its southern boundary, and together with Nasaussaq Island
Nasaussaq Island
Nasaussaq Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :Nasaussaq Island is located in the north-central part of Upernavik Archipelago, in the inner part of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay, at the mouth of Nasaussap Saqqaa...
separating the bay from the Nasaussap Saqqaa
Nasaussap Saqqaa
Nasaussap Saqqaa is a fjord in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The long fjord is an inlet of Sugar Loaf Bay, flowing to the west-north-west between Qullikorsuit Island in the southwest, and the Amitsorsuaq and Nasaussaq islands in the north...
fjord.
Ikermiorsuaq Island
Ikermiorsuaq Island
Ikermiorsuaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :...
occupies the center of the bay, while in the northern part of the bay there is a chain of islands paralleling the coastline of Nuussuaq Peninsula. These are, from northeast to southwest: the small Inussulikassak, Paornarqortut, Itissaalik
Itissaalik Island
Itissaalik Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- History :...
(the largest of the chain), Saarlia, Timilersua
Timilersua Island
Timilersua Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :...
(the second-largest), and Sugar Loaf Island.
In the south, Kittorsaq Island and the northwestern corner of Qullikorsuit Island define the southern end of the bay, at the mouth of Nuussuap Saqqaa Fjord.
Peninsulas
Nuussuaq Peninsula defines the northern limit of Sugar Loaf Bay. Several high, peninsular nunataqs of mainland Greenland extend into the bay: AnoritooqAnoritooq
Anoritooq is a nunatak in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :Anoritooq is located on the mainland of Greenland in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago...
(1108 m (3,635.2 ft)), Orsugissap Qaqqarsua
Orsugissap Qaqqarsua
Orsugissap Qaqqarsua is a nunatak of the Greenland ice sheet in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :...
(800 m (2,624.7 ft)), and Niaqornarsuaq
Niaqornarsuaq
Niaqornarsuaq is a mountain of Greenland. It is located in the Upernavik Archipelago....
(410 m (1,345.1 ft)).
Waterways
Nuussuup KangiaNuussuup Kangia
Nuussuup Kangia is a fjord in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago.- Geography :...
in the northeast and Nasaussap Saqqaa fjord in the southeast are prominent tributary fjords, the former forming an inward extension of the bay. In the east, Ieralassuit and Niaqornasuup Iterlaa' are smaller indentiations between the mainland nunataqs.
Settlement
The islands of Sugar Loaf Bay are uninhabited. NuussuaqNuussuaq
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...
is the only settlement in the bay, located east of the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula. The bay is used as an inner waterway linking the settlements, offering partial shelter from the open waters of Baffin Bay for fishermen and hunters.