Lady Franklin Bay
Encyclopedia
Lady Franklin Bay is an Arctic
waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut
, Canada
. The bay is located in Nares Strait
and is an inlet into the northeastern shore of Ellesmere Island
.
Fort Conger
(81°43′0"N 64°43′0"W), formerly an Arctic exploration camp, is located on its northern shore, but is now uninhabited.
,and the interior lengths of Lady Franklin Bay extending southwest are sometimes shown on maps as Archer Fjord.
The landscape surrounding Lady Franklin Bay is generally barren rocks, with some very shallow glacial till held in place with frost and permafrost. At this location, about 1100 mi (1,770.3 km) above the Arctic Circle, sunlight is limited to perhaps three months of a year, snowfall is light, and water in the bay is icebound from year to year, with just chance openings allowing only difficult navigation. The off-and-on icebound conditions are well-known to exist in the sea during peak summer times as far as 200 miles (321.9 km) south of the Bay entrance. However, the glaciers and icecaps of Ellesmere Island have not been known to inundate Lady Franklin Bay.
The main reach of this bay can be approached by ship if ice flow conditions allow, via Baffin Bay
, to Smith Sound
, to Kane Basin
, through Kennedy Channel
, and thus through Hall Basin
to the entrance of the Bay. The historically favored point for beginning such Polar trips has been St. Johns, Newfoundland.
who vanished from Baffin Bay beyond Lancaster Sound on the HMS Erebus
in 1845 while attempting to trace the Northwest Passage
. Sir John was lost within the Elizabeth Islands
south of Ellesmere Island. Lady Franklin subsequently became internationally well-known by financing several different rescue expeditions to search for Sir John.
Lady Franklin Bay reached press headlines in the United States in the period 1880–1884 after the US Army Signal Corps chose and specified that site for a base camp of men to make an attempt to reach the North Pole for the very first time. This effort was also to fulfill the US contribution to the 1881–1882 First International Polar Year. A party of 25 military men led by First Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely as Acting Signal Officer was successfully landed by the USS Proteus
at Lady Franklin Bay in August 1881. A large frame structure was built on the northwest shore, and this home base camp was named Fort Conger. This overall effort was known as the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
.
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, 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...
, 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...
. The bay is located in Nares Strait
Nares Strait
Nares Strait is a waterway between Ellesmere Island and Greenland that is the northern part of Baffin Bay where it meets the Lincoln Sea. From south to north, the strait includes Smith Sound, Kane Basin, Kennedy Channel, Hall Basin and Robeson Channel...
and is an inlet into the northeastern shore of Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
.
Fort Conger
Fort Conger
Fort Conger is a former settlement, military fortification, and scientific research post in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada. It was established in 1881 as an Arctic exploration camp, notable as the site of the first major northern polar region scientific expedition, part of the US government's...
(81°43′0"N 64°43′0"W), formerly an Arctic exploration camp, is located on its northern shore, but is now uninhabited.
Geography
Lady Franklin Bay is in a generally northeast to southwest direction, and as such it spreads inland about 70 mi (112.7 km) from Hall Basin. The main bay contains one noted branch to the northwest known as Discovery BayDiscovery Bay
Discovery Bay is a mixed, primarily residential, development comprising a residential development and private and public recreational facilities in Hong Kong. It is situated on the north-eastern coast of Lantau Island in the New Territories. The development spans an area of 650 hectares , and...
,and the interior lengths of Lady Franklin Bay extending southwest are sometimes shown on maps as Archer Fjord.
The landscape surrounding Lady Franklin Bay is generally barren rocks, with some very shallow glacial till held in place with frost and permafrost. At this location, about 1100 mi (1,770.3 km) above the Arctic Circle, sunlight is limited to perhaps three months of a year, snowfall is light, and water in the bay is icebound from year to year, with just chance openings allowing only difficult navigation. The off-and-on icebound conditions are well-known to exist in the sea during peak summer times as far as 200 miles (321.9 km) south of the Bay entrance. However, the glaciers and icecaps of Ellesmere Island have not been known to inundate Lady Franklin Bay.
The main reach of this bay can be approached by ship if ice flow conditions allow, via 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...
, to Smith Sound
Smith Sound
Smith Sound is an uninhabited Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Baffin Bay with Kane Basin and forms part of the Nares Strait....
, to Kane Basin
Kane Basin
Kane Basin is an Arctic waterway lying between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Smith Sound to Kennedy Channel and forms part of Nares Strait. It is approximately 180 kilometres in length and 130 km at its widest....
, through Kennedy Channel
Kennedy Channel
Kennedy Channel is an Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's most northerly island, Ellesmere Island.It forms part of Nares Strait, linking Kane Basin with Hall Basin. From the south, its beginning is marked by Capes Lawrence and Jackson; its junction with Hall Basin is marked by Capes...
, and thus through Hall Basin
Hall Basin
Hall Basin is an Arctic waterway between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It is located in Nares Strait. The landforms are located to the east and west of the basin, while Robeson Channel is to the north, and Kennedy Channel is to the south.Hall Basin is named after...
to the entrance of the Bay. The historically favored point for beginning such Polar trips has been St. Johns, Newfoundland.
Climate
The climate is typical Arctic Margin, with very light precipitation, short cold summers, and long cold winters in darkness.Fauna
The summer natural food game observed at this Bay is limited to various mammals in the sea water, occasional muskox, and scattered sea birds seen overhead.History
Lady Franklin Bay is named for a Victorian woman Lady Jane Griffen Franklin, wife of famous British explorer Sir John FranklinJohn Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
who vanished from Baffin Bay beyond Lancaster Sound on the HMS Erebus
HMS Erebus
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Erebus after Erebus, the dark region of Hades in Greek Mythology. was a rocket vessel launched in 1807, converted to an 18-gun sloop in 1808, to a fire ship in 1809, and to a 24-gun post ship in 1810. She was sold in 1819. was a 14-gun bomb vessel...
in 1845 while attempting to trace the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
. Sir John was lost within the Elizabeth Islands
Elizabeth Islands
The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard from which they are separated by Vineyard Sound, and constitute the town of...
south of Ellesmere Island. Lady Franklin subsequently became internationally well-known by financing several different rescue expeditions to search for Sir John.
Lady Franklin Bay reached press headlines in the United States in the period 1880–1884 after the US Army Signal Corps chose and specified that site for a base camp of men to make an attempt to reach the North Pole for the very first time. This effort was also to fulfill the US contribution to the 1881–1882 First International Polar Year. A party of 25 military men led by First Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely as Acting Signal Officer was successfully landed by the USS Proteus
USS Proteus
USS Proteus has been the name of several ships in the United States Navy., a Civil War steamer that was purchased in 1864., the lead ship of the Proteus class colliers, a Fulton class submarine tender....
at Lady Franklin Bay in August 1881. A large frame structure was built on the northwest shore, and this home base camp was named Fort Conger. This overall effort was known as the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
The 1881-1884 Lady Franklin Bay Expedition into the Canadian Arctic was led by Lt. Adolphus Greely and was promoted by the United States Army Signal Corps. Its purpose was threefold: to establish a meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, to collect...
.