Scoresby Sund
| Scoresby Sund Kangertittivaq |
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| Scoresby Sund | |
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Scoresby Sund is at the bottom of this satellite image
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| Coordinates | 70°30′N 25°00′W / 70.500°N 25.000°WCoordinates: 70°30′N 25°00′W / 70.500°N 25.000°W |
| Basin countries | Greenland |
| Average depth | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Max. depth | 1,450 m (4,757 ft) |
| References | |
Scoresby Sund (Danish: Scoresby Sund, Greenlandic: Kangertittivaq) is a large fjord system of the Greenland Sea on the eastern coast of Greenland. It has a tree-like structure, with a main body approximately 110 km (68 mi) long that branches into a system of fjords covering an area of about 38,000 km2 (14,700 sq mi). The longest of the fjords extends 340–350 km (210-216 mi) inland from the coastline. The depth is 400–600 m (1,310-1,970 ft) in the main basin, but depths increase to up to 1,450 m (4,760 ft) in some fjords. It is one of the largest and longest fjord systems in the world.
On the northern side of the mouth of the Scoresby Sund stands Ittoqqortoormiit, the only permanent settlement in the region, with a population of 469 (in 2010). The name of the sound honours English explorer William Scoresby, who in 1822 mapped the fjord area in detail.
The land surrounding the fjord is mostly mountainous, with steep rising edges. The mouth is 29 km wide between the Kangikajik (Cape Brewster, 70°09'N) at the end of the Savoia Peninsula and Uunarteq (Cape Tobin 70°24'N). Its southern part is a steep, 1000–2000 m (3,280-6,560 ft) tall wall of basalt, and the northern side is lower and more rounded. The mouth extends for about 110 km (68 mi) to the west, slightly turns north, widens, and forms a basin called Hall Bredning.
The Hall Bredning basin splits into several branches including the Nordvestfjord, Ofjord (Øfjord) —which splits into the Rype Fjord and Hare Fjord, Rode Fjord (Røde Fjord), Gase Fjord (Gåsefjord) and Fonfjord (Fønfjord). Between the Ofjord and Fonfjord lies the largest island of the system, Milne Land.
Among the islands in the Scoresby Sund the largest is by far Milne Land and the other islands in the sound are near it. Milne Land has an area of 3,913 km2 (1,511 sq mi) and is located to the west of the basin in a central position. Other islands are Storo and Sorte Island off the northwestern shore of Milne Land, Rode Island further south in Rode Fjord, Denmark Island off Milne Land's southern coast, and the Bjorne Islands off the northeastern headland of Milne Land.
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