Kiatassuaq Island
Encyclopedia
Kiatassuaq Island is an uninhabited island
in the Melville Bay
region of the Upernavik Archipelago
in the Qaasuitsup
municipality in northwestern Greenland
.
and Nuussuaq
settlement, with both names translating as "large tip".
is the closest settlement to Kiatassuaq Island, located on an island of the same name, 6.5 km (4 mi) to the north. Kiatassuaq Island is accessible only by boat.
The island is separated from the Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula
on the mainland of Greenland by the Ikerasaa Strait
. The strait is split into two channels, with the small Millissua Island straddling the middle. In the northeast, the Alison Bay
separates the island from the Wandel Land
nunatak
. In the north, the Saqqarlersuup Sullua
separates the island from the smaller, rocky Saqqarlersuaq Island
and Kullorsuaq Island
.
Although the southern boundary of Melville Bay
is arbitrary, it is Wilcox Head
, the western cape of Kiatassuaq Island, which is the most commonly referred to as the southern limit of the bay. Other definitions limit the bay to the Little Renland nunatak farther north where the coastline of mainland Greenland veers to the northwest, or expand it southwards to Nuussuaq Peninsula
, on the other side of Inussulik Bay
.
s on the island, and one larger Tasersuaq Lake at the lower, eastern end of the island. The island is very mountainous, with a glaciated ridge spanning its entire length. The highest point on the island is an unnamed peak of 940 m (3,084 ft) in the center of the island. Several other summits of the island ridge exceed 700 m (2,296.6 ft), from the massif overlooking Tasersuaq Lake in the east to the bastion over the Wilcox Head promontory in the west.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the 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"....
region of 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...
.
History
The name of the island means "a large torso" in the Greenlandic language. Initially, before the northbound migration phase of the 1920s, the island was named differently: "Nuussuaq Ungalleq", or the farther large point, in reference to Nuussuaq PeninsulaNuussuaq 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...
and 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, with both names translating as "large tip".
Geography
Located in the southern part of Melville Bay, Kiatassuaq Island has an elongated shape, with an east-west orientation. It has an area of 180.9 square kilometre, with a shoreline of 81.8 km (50.8 mi). KullorsuaqKullorsuaq
Kullorsuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the northernmost settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located on Kullorsuaq Island, at the southern end of Melville Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was founded in 1928, and became a...
is the closest settlement to Kiatassuaq Island, located on an island of the same name, 6.5 km (4 mi) to the north. Kiatassuaq Island is accessible only by boat.
The island is separated from the Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula
Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula
Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago.- Geography :The Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula is long, and wide...
on the mainland of Greenland by the Ikerasaa Strait
Ikerasaa Strait
Ikerasaa Strait is a strait in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The strait separates Kiatassuaq Island in the north from the mainland Sanningassorsuaq Peninsula in the south...
. The strait is split into two channels, with the small Millissua Island straddling the middle. In the northeast, the Alison Bay
Alison Bay
Alison Bay is a bay in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The bay is a tributary bay of Melville Bay, and is located in the northern part of Upernavik Archipelago, between Kiatassuaq Island in the southwest and the mainland of Greenland in the northeast.- Geography :Alison bay...
separates the island from the Wandel Land
Wandel Land
Wandel Land is a nunatak in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of several nunataks in the Melville Bay region of Greenland, where the Greenland ice sheet drains into the bay alongside its entire length apart from an occasional nunatak.- Geography :Wandel Land is...
nunatak
Nunatak
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...
. In the north, the Saqqarlersuup Sullua
Saqqarlersuup Sullua
Saqqarlersuup Sullua is a strait in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The strait is long and less than wide...
separates the island from the smaller, rocky Saqqarlersuaq Island
Saqqarlersuaq Island
Saqqarlersuaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. Part of the Upernavik Archipelago, Saqqarlersuaq Island is located in the southern part of Melville Bay.- Geography :...
and Kullorsuaq Island
Kullorsuaq Island
Kullorsuaq Island is an island in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The name of the island means "a big thumb" in the Greenlandic language.- Geography :...
.
Coastline
The coastline of the island is generally undeveloped, with small inlets only in its eastern end, near the Ikerasaa Strait and the sibling Milissua Island.Promontories
| Name | Direction | Latitude N | Longitude W |
|---|---|---|---|
| (none) | Northern Cape | 74°33′42″ | 56°40′15″ |
| Aukarnersuaq | Northeastern Cape | 74°31′42″ | 56°28′13″ |
| (none) | Eastern Cape | 74°30′18″ | 56°24′16″ |
| (none) | Southern Cape | 74°28′10″ | 57°06′30″ |
| Wilcox Head Wilcox Head Wilcox Head is a cape in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The cape is the western promontory on Kiatassuaq Island, delimiting the southern end of Melville Bay, with the other end defined as Cape York, to the northwest, in northern Baffin Bay. An alternative... |
Western Cape | 74°29′25″ | 57°30′45″ |
Although the southern boundary 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"....
is arbitrary, it is Wilcox Head
Wilcox Head
Wilcox Head is a cape in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland.- Geography :The cape is the western promontory on Kiatassuaq Island, delimiting the southern end of Melville Bay, with the other end defined as Cape York, to the northwest, in northern Baffin Bay. An alternative...
, the western cape of Kiatassuaq Island, which is the most commonly referred to as the southern limit of the bay. Other definitions limit the bay to the Little Renland nunatak farther north where the coastline of mainland Greenland veers to the northwest, or expand it southwards to 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...
, on the other side of 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...
.
Lakes and Mountains
There is a number of smaller mountain lakeLake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s on the island, and one larger Tasersuaq Lake at the lower, eastern end of the island. The island is very mountainous, with a glaciated ridge spanning its entire length. The highest point on the island is an unnamed peak of 940 m (3,084 ft) in the center of the island. Several other summits of the island ridge exceed 700 m (2,296.6 ft), from the massif overlooking Tasersuaq Lake in the east to the bastion over the Wilcox Head promontory in the west.