Nuup Kangerlua
Encyclopedia
Nuup Kangerlua is a 160 km (99.4 mi) long, fjord
in the Sermersooq
municipality in southwestern Greenland
. It is the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea
coast of Greenland, and one of the longest in the inhabited part of the country.
flowing into the fjord.
Initially, the fjord flows to the northwest, to then turn southwest at 64°43′N 50°37′W, splitting into three arms in its lower run, with three large, mountainous islands in between the arms: Sermitsiaq Island
with the Sermitsiaq mountain visible from most of Nuuk
, Qeqertarsuaq Island
, and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua Island
.
The fjord widens into a bay dotted with skerries
near its mouth, opening into Labrador Sea at approximately 64°03′N 51°58′W, near the former Kangeq
settlement.
, the capital of Greenland, is located near the mouth of the fjord, on a mountainous peninsula bounding the fjord from the southeast. Kapisillit
is located 75 km (46.6 mi) northeast of Nuuk, near the head of Kapisillit Kangerluaq, one of the tributary fjords of Nuup Kangerlua.
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 Sermersooq
Sermersooq
Sermersooq is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. It is home to Nuuk , the capital of Greenland, and is the most populous municipality in the country, with 21,232 inhabitants as of January 2010...
municipality in southwestern 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 the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea
Labrador Sea
The Labrador Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffin Bay through the Davis Strait...
coast of Greenland, and one of the longest in the inhabited part of the country.
Geography
The fjord head is located deep inland, with the fjord beginning as an icefjord at 64°19′50"N 49°36′10"W, with two glaciers draining the Greenland ice sheetGreenland 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...
flowing into the fjord.
Initially, the fjord flows to the northwest, to then turn southwest at 64°43′N 50°37′W, splitting into three arms in its lower run, with three large, mountainous islands in between the arms: Sermitsiaq Island
Sermitsiaq Island
Sermitsiaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is one of three mountainous islands located in the middle run of the long Nuup Kangerlua fjord, to the north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The two sibling islands are Qeqertarsuaq Island...
with the Sermitsiaq mountain visible from most of Nuuk
Nuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, Qeqertarsuaq Island
Qeqertarsuaq Island (Nuuk)
Qeqertarsuaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is one of three mountainous islands located in the middle run of the long Nuup Kangerlua fjord, to the north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The two sibling islanda are Qoornuup...
, and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua Island
Qoornuup Qeqertarsua Island
Qoornuup Qeqertarsua Island is an uninhabited island in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is one of three mountainous islands located in the middle run of the long Nuup Kangerlua fjord, to the north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The two sibling islands are...
.
The fjord widens into a bay dotted with 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....
near its mouth, opening into Labrador Sea at approximately 64°03′N 51°58′W, near the former Kangeq
Kangeq
Kangeq is a former settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It was a traditional fishing village, abandoned in the 1980s. The name of the settlement means "promontory" in the Greenlandic language.- History :...
settlement.
Settlement
NuukNuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, the capital of Greenland, is located near the mouth of the fjord, on a mountainous peninsula bounding the fjord from the southeast. Kapisillit
Kapisillit
Kapisillit is a settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. In 2010, the settlement had 86 inhabitants Kapisillit means the salmon in the Greenlandic language...
is located 75 km (46.6 mi) northeast of Nuuk, near the head of Kapisillit Kangerluaq, one of the tributary fjords of Nuup Kangerlua.