Tanquary Fiord facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tanquary Fiord |
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The north-east part of Tanquary Fiord with Tanquary Fiord Airport on the right
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 Tanquary Fiord
Location in Nunavut
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| Location | Ellesmere Island, Nunavut |
| Coordinates | 81°05′N 78°45′W / 81.083°N 78.750°W |
| Ocean/sea sources | Nansen Sound via Greely Fiord |
| Basin countries | Canada |
Tanquary Fiord is a long, narrow inlet of the sea, like a deep valley filled with ocean water. It's found on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Canada. This amazing place is part of Quttinirpaaq National Park and stretches about 30 miles (48 km) northwest from Greely Fiord.
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What is Tanquary Fiord?
Tanquary Fiord is a type of fjord, which is a deep, narrow arm of the sea. These are usually found in areas where glaciers once carved out valleys. Tanquary Fiord is located in the very far north of Canada, in a region called the Arctic Archipelago.
How Old is Tanquary Fiord?
Scientists use a method called radiocarbon dating to figure out how old things are. This helps them understand the history of the area.
Ice Age History
Around 10,000 to 4,100 years ago, the ice that covered the land started to melt away. This process is called wiktionary:deglaciation. After this, glaciers grew again, forming large ice shelves until about 2,400 years ago. Then, the glaciers started to shrink again. Since about 1,400 years ago, glaciers have been growing and shrinking in the area.
Early Human Presence
The Geological Survey of Canada studied charcoal found at Tanquary Fiord. Their tests showed that Inuit people were living in this area at least 1,070 years ago. This tells us that people have been exploring and living in this remote Arctic region for a very long time.
What is the Geography Like?
The very end of Tanquary Fiord is where four river valleys meet. Three of these valleys end in a flat area called a floodplain, which can get covered by water when rivers overflow. The fourth valley ends in a river delta, where a river splits into smaller streams before flowing into the fiord.
Glaciers and Climate
About 6,500 years ago, the fiord was completely free of glacial ice. However, in the last 40 years, the ends of the smaller glaciers nearby have been shrinking.
Even though it's very far north, Tanquary Fiord has a surprisingly mild climate for the Arctic. It gets about 65 days each year without frost. This is long enough for some plants, like lettuce, to grow! Summer temperatures have even reached 18°C (64°F) here.
What Human Activities Happen Here?
Because Tanquary Fiord is so remote, not many people live there permanently. However, some important activities have taken place.
Scientific Research
From 1963 to 1972, the Defence Research Board ran a project called 'Operation Tanquary'. This project focused on studying the ocean in the fiord.
Visiting Tanquary Fiord
Today, Parks Canada has a Warden Station that is staffed during the summer months. This helps manage the Quttinirpaaq National Park. There's also a small airport nearby called Tanquary Fiord Airport.
Most visitors arrive by charter aircraft. More and more, people are also visiting on icebreaker cruise ships, which can break through the ice. A weather station was set up in Eureka, Nunavut, about 175 km (109 miles) southwest of the fiord, in 1947. This station helps scientists understand the Arctic weather.
