Scoresby Sound

Scoresby Sound
Scoresby Sund
Kangertittivaq (Greenlandic)
Scoresby Sound is located in Greenland
Scoresby Sound
Scoresby Sound
Scoresby Sound is at the bottom of this satellite image
Coordinates70°30′N 25°00′W / 70.500°N 25.000°W / 70.500; -25.000
Basin countriesGreenland
Average depth500 m (1,640 ft)
Max. depth1,450 m (4,757 ft)
References[1]
Map of Greenland Sea, showing Scoresby Sound at top left.
Scoresby Sound

Scoresby Sound (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)[2] 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.[1] 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.[1] It is one of the largest and longest fjord systems in the world.[3][4][5]

On the northern side of the mouth of the Scoresby Sound 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.

  1. ^ a b c "Scoresby" (in Russian). Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Scoresby Sund, Encyclopædia Britannica on-line
  3. ^ Archaeology, p. 7
  4. ^ Migoń, Piotr, ed. (2010). Geomorphological Landscapes of the World. Springer. p. 227. ISBN 90-481-3054-9.
  5. ^ "NOAA (public domain) satellite photo of Scoresby Sound in Autumn as icebergs start forming".