Tarajornitsut
Encyclopedia
Tarajornitsut is an uninhabited tundra
highland
in the Qeqqata
municipality in central-western Greenland
, within the bounds of Kangaamiut dike swarm. The highland has many lakes, shallow valleys, hills, and wetlands, with plentiful wildlife, such as arctic geese. It is also a major calving ground for reindeer
. In the future the area will become a protected nature reserve. The Polar Route from Sisimiut
to Kangerlussuaq
ends in Tarajornitsut, on the shore of Kangerlussuaq Fjord
.
, behind the dike scarp bounding the fjord from the northwest. The eastern part of the wide highland region of numerous lakes (some of which are saline
), wet valley depressions, and mostly barren hills, begins immediately to the north of Kangerlussuaq
, and is bounded from the east by the large Sanningasoq
lake.
The long Tasersuaq
lake in the west separates the highland from the Pingu mountain group halfway between Davis Strait
and the Greenland ice sheet
. The range flattens considerably to the northwest of Tarajornitsut, due to pressure exerted by the icesheet for long periods in the past.
The entire region is part of the tundra
biome, with the depressions and lakes being an important site for migrating birds, such as geese. The northern and northeastern part of the region is an important calving ground for the reindeer. The wetlands in the heart of Tarajornitsut dominate the depressions. Protected by the hills on the eastern side, they are deprived of wind blowing from the icesheet. Still water in these depressions is an incubator for billions of mosquito
es during the summer season.
The southern and southwestern edge of the region, north of Kangerlussuaq port, near the small Mount Evans hillock overlooking Kangerlussuaq Fjord is strewn with artifacts and trash dating from the era when the Sondrestrom Air Base
was still operational. Numerous rusting barrels, wooden platforms, and small wetland bridges left by the American Army are common in the area.
The climate of the region is polar continental
, and very stable due to considerable distance from the coast of Davis Strait, with the area receiving very little rainfall.
.
Within the newly drafted development plan for the Kangerlussuaq area, the municipal authorities aim to establish a nature preserve in Tarajornitsut, with tourism channeled instead into the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua
valley with Russell Glacier
, and into the Isunngua
highland to the east, towards the icesheet.
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
highland
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
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 central-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...
, within the bounds of Kangaamiut dike swarm. The highland has many lakes, shallow valleys, hills, and wetlands, with plentiful wildlife, such as arctic geese. It is also a major calving ground for reindeer
Reindeer
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...
. In the future the area will become a protected nature reserve. The Polar Route from 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...
to Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipality, located at the head of a fjord of the same name. It is Greenland's main air transport hub, being the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport....
ends in Tarajornitsut, on the shore of Kangerlussuaq Fjord
Kangerlussuaq Fjord
Kangerlussuaq Fjord is a long fjord in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The fjord is long and between and wide, flowing from the estuary of Qinnguata Kuussua river to the southwest, and emptying into Davis Strait...
.
Geography
Tarajornitsut is located north of Kangerlussuaq FjordKangerlussuaq Fjord
Kangerlussuaq Fjord is a long fjord in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The fjord is long and between and wide, flowing from the estuary of Qinnguata Kuussua river to the southwest, and emptying into Davis Strait...
, behind the dike scarp bounding the fjord from the northwest. The eastern part of the wide highland region of numerous lakes (some of which are saline
Saline water
Saline water is a general term for water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved salts . The concentration is usually expressed in parts per million of salt....
), wet valley depressions, and mostly barren hills, begins immediately to the north of Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipality, located at the head of a fjord of the same name. It is Greenland's main air transport hub, being the site of Greenland's largest commercial airport....
, and is bounded from the east by the large Sanningasoq
Sanningasoq
Sanningasoq is a large oligotrophic twin lake in central-western Greenland, in the Qeqqata municipality. It is located approximately northeast of Kangerlussuaq. It is characteristic in that it is composed of two lakes connected via a narrow water passage through a broken isthmus...
lake.
The long Tasersuaq
Tasersuaq
Tasersuaq is a large lake in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The name of the lake means large lake in the Greenlandic language, and is a common name shared by several lakes in the country.- Geography :...
lake in the west separates the highland from the Pingu mountain group halfway between 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....
and 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...
. The range flattens considerably to the northwest of Tarajornitsut, due to pressure exerted by the icesheet for long periods in the past.
The entire region is part of the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
biome, with the depressions and lakes being an important site for migrating birds, such as geese. The northern and northeastern part of the region is an important calving ground for the reindeer. The wetlands in the heart of Tarajornitsut dominate the depressions. Protected by the hills on the eastern side, they are deprived of wind blowing from the icesheet. Still water in these depressions is an incubator for billions of mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es during the summer season.
The southern and southwestern edge of the region, north of Kangerlussuaq port, near the small Mount Evans hillock overlooking Kangerlussuaq Fjord is strewn with artifacts and trash dating from the era when the Sondrestrom Air Base
Sondrestrom Air Base
Sondrestrom Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in Greenland, located north of the Arctic Circle, from the northeast end of Kangerlussuaq Fjord , after which it was named, approximately west northwest of Ravneklippen, and west of Sisimiut.The base was turned over to the Greenland...
was still operational. Numerous rusting barrels, wooden platforms, and small wetland bridges left by the American Army are common in the area.
The climate of the region is polar continental
Polar climate
Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers . Regions with polar climate cover over 20% of the Earth. The sun shines 24 hours in the summer, and barely ever shines at all in the winter...
, and very stable due to considerable distance from the coast of Davis Strait, with the area receiving very little rainfall.
Nature reserve
Kangerlussuaq is one of the settlements in Greenland exhibiting stable population growth patterns over the past two decades, with a dynamically growing tourism industry, primarily thanks to the airportKangerlussuaq Airport
Kangerlussuaq Airport is an airport in Kangerlussuaq, a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. Alongside Narsarsuaq Airport, it is one of only two civilian airports in Greenland large enough to handle large airliners, having more stable weather, being located further...
.
Within the newly drafted development plan for the Kangerlussuaq area, the municipal authorities aim to establish a nature preserve in Tarajornitsut, with tourism channeled instead into the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua
Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua
Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua is a river and valley of the same name in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. Its source is the meltwater outflow from Russell Glacier, an outflow of the Greenland ice sheet. The river is a tributary of Qinnguata Kuussua, the main river in the Kangerlussuaq...
valley with Russell Glacier
Russell Glacier
Russell Glacier is a glacier in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. It flows from the Greenland ice sheet in the western direction. The front of the glacier is located east of Kangerlussuaq...
, and into the Isunngua
Isunngua
Isunngua is a highland in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland, located immediately west of the Greenland Ice Sheet edge. In large part it is covered by the tundra, although in the immediate vicinity of the Sermersuaq ice sheet it gradually becomes exposed, barren, and largely...
highland to the east, towards the icesheet.