Prince Christian Sound
{{Short description|Waterway in Greenland}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name= Prince Christian Sound
| native_name={{native name|kl|Ikerasassuaq}}
| other_name=
| image = Prins Christian Sund.jpg
| caption =
| pushpin_map = Greenland
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Greenland
| location= Arctic (S Greenland)
| coords= {{coord|60|9|N|43|53|W|region:GL_type:waterbody_source:GNS-enwiki|display=inline, title}}
| rivers=
| oceans= Labrador Sea / Irminger Sea
(North Atlantic Ocean)
| countries= Greenland
| length={{convert|100|km|abbr=on}}
| width={{convert|2.7|km|abbr=on}}
| area=
| depth=
| settlements=
}}
The Prince Christian Sound (Greenlandic: Ikerasassuaq;[http://gst.dk/media/2915914/den-groenlandske-lods-sejladsanvisniner-oestgroenland.pdf Den grønlandske Lods - Geodatastyrelsen] Danish: Prins Christians Sund) is a waterway in Southern Greenland.
It separates the mainland from Sammisoq (Christian IV Island) and other islands of the Cape Farewell Archipelago near the southernmost tip of Greenland. The name was given in honour of the prince, later king Christian VIII of Denmark.[http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Geografi_og_historie/Gr%C3%B8nland/Gr%C3%B8nlands_geografi/Prins_Christian_Sund Prins Christian Sund] (Den Store Danske Leksikon) (in Danish)
Geography
{ "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "ids": "Q1337527", "properties": { "fill": "#0050d0"}}
The Prince Christian Sound connects the Labrador Sea with the Irminger Sea. It is around 100 km (60 miles) long and it is narrow, sometimes only {{convert|500|metres|feet}} wide. The only settlement along this sound is Aappilattoq.
The long fjord system is mostly surrounded by steep mountains in general reaching over {{convert|1200|metres|feet}}, one of them {{convert|2220|metres|feet}} high.{{cite book|last1=Wiles|first1=Andrew|title=Arctic and Northern Waters|date=2016|publisher=Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson LTD|location=St Ives|isbn=978 184623 828 4|page=224|edition=Revised first}}See OpenStreetMap at {{coord|60.3906|-44.0016}}. Many glaciers go straight into its waters where they calve icebergs. There are often strong tidal currents limiting the formation of ice. It has many offshoots, such as Kangerluk to the north midway through the fjord, Ikeq Fjord in the south, and in the west Ilua Fjord, Ikerasaq Fjord (Akuliarutsip Imaa), Utoqqarmiut Fjord (Pamialluup Kujatinngua) and the Torsukattak Fjord.{{cite web|url=http://mapcarta.com/19184140|title=Torsukattak|work=Mapcarta|accessdate=8 April 2016}}
Weather station
At the entrance to the East of the Strait ({{coord|60|03|N|43|10|W}}) is a weather station founded by the US during World War II named Bluie East One. The task of the weather station was to ensure that the shipping industry had reliable data on the weather at Cape Farewell, Greenland. On 7 January 1959, when the ship MS Hans Hedtoft hit an iceberg at Cape Farvel, the radio telegraphist at the weather station at Prince Christian Sound was the first to catch the ship's distress signal.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
The weather station is today run by the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO together with Tele Greenland. A long wooden stairway leads from the harbour up to the station with community building, power plant, residential barracks and radio aerial plants.
Tourism
The scenery of Prince Christian Sound attracts summer cruise ships to the area, with some vessels as large as the 86,700 ton Eurodam,[http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2013/01/17/scenic-cruising-on-eurodam/ Scenic Cruising on Eurodam] or the 137,000 ton Voyager of the Seas.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SSU15qS8io |title=Voyager Of The Seas In Prins Christians Sund Greenland - Oakland Travel |date=2022-09-14 |website=youtube |access-date=2022-10-16 }} Ships must go slowly due to the icebergs.
Climate
Prince Christian Sound has a maritime polar climate (Köppen ET) making borderline with subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) due low annual temperature swings for its latitude and relatively high temperature in center months. Summer temperatures are way below the tree line requirements, whereas the long winters are comparatively mild for its high latitude. The nearby ice sheet produces cold air which keeps summer temperatures down.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}
{{-}}
{{Weather box|location = Prince Christian Sound 1961-1990, extremes 1958-1999
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan high C = -1.9
| Feb high C = -1.8
| Mar high C = -1.3
| Apr high C = 1.5
| May high C = 4.4
| Jun high C = 7.3
| Jul high C = 9.8
| Aug high C = 9.6
| Sep high C = 6.9
| Oct high C = 3.5
| Nov high C = 0.6
| Dec high C = -0.9
| year high C =
| Jan mean C = -4.1
| Feb mean C = -3.9
| Mar mean C = -3.7
| Apr mean C = -0.9
| May mean C = 1.9
| Jun mean C = 4.5
| Jul mean C = 6.5
| Aug mean C = 6.5
| Sep mean C = 4.3
| Oct mean C = 1.4
| Nov mean C = -1.3
| Dec mean C = -3.2
| year mean C =
| Jan low C = -6.2
| Feb low C = -6.3
| Mar low C = -5.9
| Apr low C = -3.5
| May low C = -0.6
| Jun low C = 1.2
| Jul low C = 3.3
| Aug low C = 3.3
| Sep low C = 1.9
| Oct low C = -0.7
| Nov low C = -3.4
| Dec low C = -5.1
| year low C =
| Jan record high C = 7.5
| Feb record high C = 9.0
| Mar record high C = 9.0
| Apr record high C = 11.6
| May record high C = 14.0
| Jun record high C = 20.0
| Jul record high C = 24.2
| Aug record high C = 20.9
| Sep record high C = 20.0
| Oct record high C = 14.2
| Nov record high C = 9.8
| Dec record high C = 13.4
| year record high C =
| Jan record low C = -20.0
| Feb record low C = -16.0
| Mar record low C = -16.9
| Apr record low C = -15.2
| May record low C = -10.2
| Jun record low C = -5.5
| Jul record low C = -3.6
| Aug record low C = -3.5
| Sep record low C = -3.2
| Oct record low C = -6.9
| Nov record low C = -12.0
| Dec record low C = -15.3
| year record low C =
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 262
| Feb precipitation mm = 246
| Mar precipitation mm = 205
| Apr precipitation mm = 227
| May precipitation mm = 175
| Jun precipitation mm = 136
| Jul precipitation mm = 129
| Aug precipitation mm = 173
| Sep precipitation mm = 233
| Oct precipitation mm = 219
| Nov precipitation mm = 227
| Dec precipitation mm = 251
| year precipitation mm =
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 15.9
| Feb precipitation days = 15.6
| Mar precipitation days = 14.1
| Apr precipitation days = 14.2
| May precipitation days = 12.5
| Jun precipitation days = 10.0
| Jul precipitation days = 10.5
| Aug precipitation days = 10.4
| Sep precipitation days = 12.7
| Oct precipitation days = 12.7
| Nov precipitation days = 13.0
| Dec precipitation days = 15.1
| year precipitation days =
| unit snow days =
| Jan snow days = 16.6
| Feb snow days = 15.8
| Mar snow days = 15.0
| Apr snow days = 13.6
| May snow days = 7.8
| Jun snow days = 1.8
| Jul snow days = 0.2
| Aug snow days = 0.1
| Sep snow days = 3.0
| Oct snow days = 9.1
| Nov snow days = 13.5
| Dec snow days = 14.6
| year snow days =
| source = [http://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2000/tr00-18.pdf DMI]
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commonscat inline|Prince Christian Sound}}
- [http://www.sidetrackedtravelblog.com/blog/2015/9/03/natural-wonders-of-prince-christian-sound Natural Wonders of Prince Christian Sound] (Travel report)
{{Abandoned sites in Greenland}}