Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord
Encyclopedia
Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord (old spelling: Kangerdlugssuatsiaq) is a fjord
in the Qeqqata
municipality in western Greenland
. Taking its source in the tidewater glaciers draining the Maniitsoq ice sheet
, the fjord flows in a deep canyon through a mountainous, uninhabited region, emptying into Davis Strait
near the settlement of Kangaamiut
.
, now separated from the Greenland ice sheet
, at 66°05′00"N 51°42′35"W.
After the confluence
the fjord heads to the southwest, bounded from both sides by mountain cliffs exceeding 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft). The mountains near the middle part of the fjord is considered the best heliskiing
and mountaineering
region in Greenland.
The canyon of the fjord turns 90 degrees to the northwest at 65°52′30"N 52°19′30"W, and then again southwestward, at the confluence with small icefjords flowing from glaciers draining Maniitsoq ice sheet at 65°56′30"N 52°39′00"W. The largest glacier in that area is Sermitsiaq Glacier
, falling into two separate fjords: Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord in the south and Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord
in the north.
After that point the fjord widens, while the mountain cliffs are half as high as in the central section. The fjord opens into Davis Strait
, with its mouth dotted with several skerries
.
is the only settlement in the vicinity, located on a small island at the northern end of the fjord mouth.
aluminium smelting
plant in the Qeqqata
municipality. Maniitsoq
, the second-largest town in the municipality, is one of the proposed locations, alongside the municipal center in Sisimiut
. The plant would provide employment for 600–700 people, or more than 10 percent of the population. As it is a vital decision for the town, wide public consultations were carried out in 2008–2010 by both the town authorities and the Government of Greenland in order to address potential environmental and social concerns.
A hydroelectric power plant at the source of the Majorqaq
river would yield an estimated energy output of 1,000 gigawatts per year. Combined with the second plant near Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord with 3,170 gigawatts per year, the energy would be sufficient to power the aluminium plant near Maniitsoq. The ultimate decision as to the location of the plant has not yet been taken.
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
in the Qeqqata
Qeqqata
Qeqqata is a new municipality in western Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The municipality was named after its location in central-western part of the country. Its population is 9,677 as of January 2010. The administrative center of the municipality is in Sisimiut...
municipality in western 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...
. Taking its source in the tidewater glaciers draining the Maniitsoq ice sheet
Maniitsoq ice sheet
Maniitsoq ice sheet is a ice sheet in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland.- Geography :There are no settlements in the vicinity of the ice sheet...
, the fjord flows in a deep canyon through a mountainous, uninhabited region, emptying into Davis Strait
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
near the settlement of Kangaamiut
Kangaamiut
Kangaamiut is a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland, with a population of 357 as of 2010.- Geography :...
.
Geography
Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord is 75 km (46.6 mi) long and 700 m (2,296.6 ft) deep. The head of the fjord is formed by two tributaries. Qingua Kujalleq, the southern arm, is a short icefjord flowing northwestward, with its head at 65°55′07"N 51°41′57"W. Qingua Avannarleq, the northern arm, flowing southwestward from the Kangerlussuatsiaup Qingua valley, blocked at the end by glacier outflow from the Maniitsoq ice sheetManiitsoq ice sheet
Maniitsoq ice sheet is a ice sheet in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland.- Geography :There are no settlements in the vicinity of the ice sheet...
, now separated from 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...
, at 66°05′00"N 51°42′35"W.
After the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
the fjord heads to the southwest, bounded from both sides by mountain cliffs exceeding 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft). The mountains near the middle part of the fjord is considered the best heliskiing
Heliskiing
Heliskiing is off-trail, downhill skiing that is accessed by a helicopter, not a ski lift. Heliskiing is essentially about skiing in a natural—albeit highly selected—environment without the effort or gear compromise required for hiking into these areas as in ski touring or ski mountaineering.Most...
and mountaineering
Mountaineering
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...
region in Greenland.
The canyon of the fjord turns 90 degrees to the northwest at 65°52′30"N 52°19′30"W, and then again southwestward, at the confluence with small icefjords flowing from glaciers draining Maniitsoq ice sheet at 65°56′30"N 52°39′00"W. The largest glacier in that area is Sermitsiaq Glacier
Sermitsiaq Glacier
Sermitsiaq Glacier is a tidewater glacier in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. It drains Maniitsoq ice sheet into two fjords flowing towards Davis Strait: Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord in the north, and the longer Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord in the south....
, falling into two separate fjords: Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord in the south and Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord
Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord
Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord is a fjord in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. The fjord is located halfway between the lower runs of the long Kangerlussuaq Fjord in the north, and Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord in the south, emptying into Davis Strait.- Geography :The head of the fjord at ...
in the north.
After that point the fjord widens, while the mountain cliffs are half as high as in the central section. The fjord opens into Davis Strait
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Nunavut, Canada's Baffin Island. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis , who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage....
, with its mouth dotted with several skerries
Skerry
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....
.
Settlement
The forbidding nature of the fjord surroundings preclude settlement for the majority of its length. KangaamiutKangaamiut
Kangaamiut is a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland, with a population of 357 as of 2010.- Geography :...
is the only settlement in the vicinity, located on a small island at the northern end of the fjord mouth.
Hydropower
There are advanced plans for the AlcoaAlcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
aluminium smelting
Aluminium smelting
Aluminium smelting is the process of extracting aluminium from its oxide alumina, generally by the Hall-Héroult process. Alumina is extracted from the ore Bauxite by means of the Bayer process at an alumina refinery....
plant in the Qeqqata
Qeqqata
Qeqqata is a new municipality in western Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The municipality was named after its location in central-western part of the country. Its population is 9,677 as of January 2010. The administrative center of the municipality is in Sisimiut...
municipality. Maniitsoq
Maniitsoq
Maniitsoq is a town in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. With 2,784 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the sixth-largest town in Greenland...
, the second-largest town in the municipality, is one of the proposed locations, alongside the municipal center in Sisimiut
Sisimiut
Sisimiut is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately north of Nuuk. It is the administrative center of the Qeqqata Municipality and the second-largest town in Greenland, with a population of 5,460 people as of 2010. The site of the present-day town...
. The plant would provide employment for 600–700 people, or more than 10 percent of the population. As it is a vital decision for the town, wide public consultations were carried out in 2008–2010 by both the town authorities and the Government of Greenland in order to address potential environmental and social concerns.
A hydroelectric power plant at the source of the Majorqaq
Majorqaq
Majorqaq is a meltwater river and valley of the same name in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. It is one of the widest rivers in western Greenland, draining the Greenland ice sheet.- Geography :...
river would yield an estimated energy output of 1,000 gigawatts per year. Combined with the second plant near Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord with 3,170 gigawatts per year, the energy would be sufficient to power the aluminium plant near Maniitsoq. The ultimate decision as to the location of the plant has not yet been taken.