Torngat Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Torngat Mountains are a mountain range
on the Labrador Peninsula
at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador
and eastern Quebec
. They are part of the Arctic Cordillera
. This is the peninsula that separates Ungava Bay
from the Atlantic Ocean
.
, 44% is in Labrador
and the remainder, less-than-1%, is located on Killiniq Island
in Nunavut
. At least 2% of the mountain chain is under water, and poorly surveyed. The Torngat Mountains cover 30067 square kilometres (11,608.9 sq mi), including lowland areas and extend over 300 km (186 mi) from Cape Chidley
in the north to Hebron Fjord in the south. The Torngat Mountains have the highest peaks of eastern, continental Canada
.
) at 1652 m (5,420 ft). There are no trees in the Torngat Mountains because the mountains are north of the Arctic tree line.
Permafrost
is continuous on the Quebec side of the border, and it is extensive but discontinuous on the eastern Atlantic side. The terrain
is over 300 m (984 ft) above sea level
and is predominantly rocky desert.
Precambrian
gneisses that comprise the Torngat Mountains are among the oldest on Earth
and have been dated at roughly 3.6 to 3.9 billion years old. Geologists recognize the gneisses of the Torngats as a part of the Canadian Shield
or Laurentian Upland
, which, composing the very old North American Craton, split from the continent of Rodinia
roughly 750 million years ago to form the geologic core of North America
.
However, the mountain-building or orogeny
of the Torngats took place much more recently, and is characteristic of the folding and faulting that defines the series of geological events known as Arctic Cordillera
. This, according to some, makes the Torngats, as mountains, "distinct compared to the surrounding Precambrian Canadian Shield," though they are ultimately composed of shield rock. Evidence of this dramatic cordilleran folding and faulting characterizing the Torngat Mountains can be seen distinctly in rocks where the North American Craton long ago collided with the Nain Craton, later exposed in cross-section by glacial scouring, especially at Saglek Fjord.
the coverage was more limited.
Currently, Parks Canada reports more than 40 active but small glaciers in the Torngat Mountains (with about 80 ice masses ).
travel through the Torngat Mountains, and polar bear
s roam along the coast. Numerous species of vegetation common to the Arctic region of Canada are also found in the Torngat Mountains.
word meaning place of spirits, sometimes interpreted as place of evil spirits.
The Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve
was announced on 1 December 2005. It aims to protect wildlife (caribou, polar bears, peregrine falcon and golden eagle among others), while offering wilderness-oriented recreational activities.
In the CBC Series Geologial Journey the Torngat mountains are featured.http://www.cbc.ca/geologic/field_guide/cs_torngat.html?dataPath=/photogallery/documentaries/gallery_644/xml/gallery_644.xml Notably, a billion year old coal seam (based on algae, not peat swamps) was discovered in the Torngat mountains on the Newfoundland Coast as part of the filming of the series.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
on the Labrador Peninsula
Labrador Peninsula
The Labrador Peninsula is a large peninsula in eastern Canada. It is bounded by the Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, the Labrador Sea to the east, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the south-east...
at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and eastern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. They are part of the Arctic Cordillera
Arctic Cordillera
The Arctic Cordillera is a vast, deeply dissected chain of mountain ranges extending along the northeastern flank of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from Ellesmere Island to the northeasternmost part of the Labrador Peninsula in northern Labrador and northern Quebec, Canada...
. This is the peninsula that separates Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Extent
The Torngat Mountains have a substantial geographical extent. About 56% of the range is located in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 44% is in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and the remainder, less-than-1%, is located on Killiniq Island
Killiniq Island
Killiniq Island is a small, remote island in northeastern Canada. Located at the extreme northern tip of Labrador between Ungava Bay and the Labrador Sea, it is notable in that it contains the only land border between Nunavut territory and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador...
in Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
. At least 2% of the mountain chain is under water, and poorly surveyed. The Torngat Mountains cover 30067 square kilometres (11,608.9 sq mi), including lowland areas and extend over 300 km (186 mi) from Cape Chidley
Cape Chidley
Cape Chidley is a headland located on the eastern shore of Killiniq Island, Canada at the northeastern tip of the Labrador Peninsula.-Cape Chidley:...
in the north to Hebron Fjord in the south. The Torngat Mountains have the highest peaks of eastern, continental Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Terrain
The highest point is Mount Caubvick (also known as Mont D'IbervillePierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1702 (probable)was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonial administrator, knight of...
) at 1652 m (5,420 ft). There are no trees in the Torngat Mountains because the mountains are north of the Arctic tree line.
Permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
is continuous on the Quebec side of the border, and it is extensive but discontinuous on the eastern Atlantic side. The terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
is over 300 m (984 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and is predominantly rocky desert.
| Rank | Name | m | ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Caubvick | 1652 | 5420 |
| 2 | Torngarsoak Mountain Torngarsoak Mountain Torngarsoak Mountain is a mountain located east of Tallek Lake, Labrador, Canada. It is the second highest mountain in Labrador and lies in the Selamiut Range, which is a subrange of the Torngat Mountains.... |
1595 | 5232 |
| 3 | Cirque Mountain Cirque Mountain Cirque Mountain is a mountain located northeast of Mount Caubvick, Labrador, Canada. It is the third highest mountain in Labrador, after Caubvick and Torngarsoak Mountain , and lies in the Selamiut Range, which is a subrange of the Torngat Mountains... |
1568 | 5144 |
| 4 | Peak 5100 (24I/16) | 1554+ | 5100+ |
| 5 | Peak 5074 | 1547 | 5074 |
| 6 | Mount Erhart | 1539 | 5049 |
| 7 | Jens Haven | 1531 | 5023 |
| 8 | Peak 5000 (24P/01) | 1524+ | 5000+ |
| 9 | Peak 5000 (24I/16) | 1524+ | 5000+ |
| 10 | Innuit Mountain Innuit Mountain Innuit Mountain is a mountain located northwest of Mount Caubvick in the Torngat Mountains of northern Labrador, Canada. It lies at the head of Nachvak Fiord and has a twin summit called Packard Mountain.... |
1509 | 4951 |
Geology
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
gneisses that comprise the Torngat Mountains are among the oldest on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and have been dated at roughly 3.6 to 3.9 billion years old. Geologists recognize the gneisses of the Torngats as a part of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
or Laurentian Upland
Laurentian Upland
The Laurentian Upland is a physiographic province which, when referred to as the "Laurentian Region," is recognized by Natural Resources Canada as one of five provinces of the larger Canadian Shield physiographic division...
, which, composing the very old North American Craton, split from the continent of Rodinia
Rodinia
In geology, Rodinia is the name of a supercontinent, a continent which contained most or all of Earth's landmass. According to plate tectonic reconstructions, Rodinia existed between 1.1 billion and 750 million years ago, in the Neoproterozoic era...
roughly 750 million years ago to form the geologic core of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
However, the mountain-building or orogeny
Orogeny
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a severe structural deformation of the Earth's crust due to the engagement of tectonic plates. Response to such engagement results in the formation of long tracts of highly deformed rock called orogens or orogenic belts...
of the Torngats took place much more recently, and is characteristic of the folding and faulting that defines the series of geological events known as Arctic Cordillera
Arctic Cordillera
The Arctic Cordillera is a vast, deeply dissected chain of mountain ranges extending along the northeastern flank of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from Ellesmere Island to the northeasternmost part of the Labrador Peninsula in northern Labrador and northern Quebec, Canada...
. This, according to some, makes the Torngats, as mountains, "distinct compared to the surrounding Precambrian Canadian Shield," though they are ultimately composed of shield rock. Evidence of this dramatic cordilleran folding and faulting characterizing the Torngat Mountains can be seen distinctly in rocks where the North American Craton long ago collided with the Nain Craton, later exposed in cross-section by glacial scouring, especially at Saglek Fjord.
Glaciation
The ranges of the Torngat Mountains are separated by deep fjords and finger lakes surrounded by sheer rock walls. The fjords were produced by glaciation. The Laurentide Ice Sheet covered most of the mountains at least once, however during the last ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
the coverage was more limited.
Currently, Parks Canada reports more than 40 active but small glaciers in the Torngat Mountains (with about 80 ice masses ).
Flora and fauna
CaribouReindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
travel through the Torngat Mountains, and polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s roam along the coast. Numerous species of vegetation common to the Arctic region of Canada are also found in the Torngat Mountains.
History & Popular culture
The name Torngat is derived from an InuktitutInuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
word meaning place of spirits, sometimes interpreted as place of evil spirits.
The Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve
Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve
Torngat Mountains National Park is a Canadian national park, located on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador.The park was established on 22 January 2005, making it the first national park to be created in Labrador...
was announced on 1 December 2005. It aims to protect wildlife (caribou, polar bears, peregrine falcon and golden eagle among others), while offering wilderness-oriented recreational activities.
In the CBC Series Geologial Journey the Torngat mountains are featured.http://www.cbc.ca/geologic/field_guide/cs_torngat.html?dataPath=/photogallery/documentaries/gallery_644/xml/gallery_644.xml Notably, a billion year old coal seam (based on algae, not peat swamps) was discovered in the Torngat mountains on the Newfoundland Coast as part of the filming of the series.
See also
- Torngat Mountains National Park ReserveTorngat Mountains National Park ReserveTorngat Mountains National Park is a Canadian national park, located on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador.The park was established on 22 January 2005, making it the first national park to be created in Labrador...
- List of mountain ranges
- Arctic CordilleraArctic CordilleraThe Arctic Cordillera is a vast, deeply dissected chain of mountain ranges extending along the northeastern flank of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from Ellesmere Island to the northeasternmost part of the Labrador Peninsula in northern Labrador and northern Quebec, Canada...
External links
- Torngat Mountains
- Great photos of the mountain range
- Statistics Canada Principal heights by range or region
- Tales from the Torngats, August 2004
- http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=thumb&CISOGRID=thumbnail,A,1;title,A,1;captio,A,0;para,200,0;none,A,0;20;relevancy,none,none,none,none&CISOBIB=title,A,1,N;captio,A,0,N;para,200,0,N;none,A,0,N;none,A,0,N;20;relevancy,none,none,none,none&CISOTHUMB=20%20(4x5);identi,none,none,none,none&CISOTITLE=20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOHIERA=20;para,title,none,none,none&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOTYPE=link&CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=origin&CISOBOX1=Alexander+Forbes+Collection&CISOOP2=all&CISOFIELD2=para&CISOBOX2=&CISOOP3=all&CISOFIELD3=data&CISOBOX3=&CISOOP4=all&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOBOX4=&c=all&CISOROOT=%2FagsnorthAlexander Forbes Collection: Aerial photo survey of Labrador from 1931, 1932, and 1935 expeditions] - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries Digital Collections
- Torngat Mountains: Canada's newest national park