Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord |
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| Evighedsfjorden | |
 Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord
Location in Greenland
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| Location | Arctic (West Greenland) |
| Coordinates | 65°53′N 52°20′W / 65.883°N 52.333°W |
| Ocean/sea sources | Davis Strait |
| Basin countries | Greenland |
| Max. length | 75 km (46.6 mi) |
| Average depth | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
The Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord is a long, narrow arm of the sea found in western Greenland. Its name in Danish is Evighedsfjorden, which means "The Fjord of Eternity." This fjord is a really deep canyon carved by ancient glaciers.
It starts from glaciers that melt into the water and flows through tall mountains. The fjord eventually opens up into the Davis Strait, which is part of the Arctic Ocean.
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Exploring Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord
The Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord is about 75 kilometers (47 miles) long. It is also very deep, reaching down to 700 meters (2,300 feet) in some places!
The fjord begins with two main branches. These branches are fed by melting ice from the Maniitsoq ice cap. This ice cap is a large area of ice that is now separate from the main Greenland ice sheet.
Mountains and Glaciers
After the two branches meet, the fjord flows southwest. It is surrounded by huge mountain cliffs that are over 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) tall. These mountains are known as a great spot for exciting activities like heliskiing and mountaineering in Greenland. Heliskiing is when a helicopter takes skiers to the top of a mountain, and they ski down.
One of the biggest glaciers in this area is the Sermitsiaq Glacier. This glacier is special because it flows into two different fjords at the same time: the Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord and the Kangaamiut Kangerluarsuat Fjord.
As the fjord gets closer to the ocean, it becomes wider. The mountains around it also get a bit shorter. The mouth of the fjord, where it meets the Davis Strait, has many small rocky islands called skerries.
Life Around the Fjord
Most of the Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord is surrounded by wild, untouched nature. Because of the steep mountains and icy conditions, there are no towns or villages along most of its length.
The only settlement nearby is Kangaamiut. This small town is located on an island right at the northern entrance of the fjord.
Future Plans: Hydropower
There have been discussions about building a large factory in the Qeqqata area of Greenland. This factory would produce aluminium.
To power such a factory, a lot of electricity is needed. Plans have been made to build hydroelectric power plants. These plants would use the force of water from rivers and melting glaciers to create electricity.
One proposed power plant would be near the Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord. If built, it could create a huge amount of electricity, enough to power the aluminium factory. This project could bring many jobs to the area, which is very important for the local people. Local communities and the government have been talking about these plans for a long time to make sure they are good for both people and the environment.
