Why is the Ilulissat glacier so famous?
Ilulissat Icefjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 because of its natural beauty and the importance of the fast-moving Jakobshavn Glacier in developing the current scientific understanding of anthropogenic climate change.
How is the Ilulissat Icefjord protected?
Buffer zones are implemented to protect the world heritage areas values. In Ilulissat ice fjord there are two buffer zones. One is a close to urban area buffer zone by the heliport, who intends to protect it from construction which can mar the Icefjord.
Is Ilulissat above the Arctic Circle?
Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,670 as of 2020, it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut.
How was Sermeq Kujalleq formed?
Sermeq Kujalleq has grown and shrunk for centuries as part of the Greenland ice sheet. Formed over 250,000 years ago, the ice sheet today stretches 1,500 miles long by 680 miles wide and covers 80 percent of Greenland. Most of the ice sheet is ringed by mountains.
Where is Greenland’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site?
In the summer of 2018, Greenland got its third UNESCO World Heritage Site, namely the Inuit hunting area at the Polar Circle in West Greenland. The beautiful nature area is to be found at the Arctic Circle or the Polar Circle, as it is also called, on Greenland’s west coast.
How far north is Ilulissat?
Geography. Ilulissat is located ~350km North of the Arctic Circle on the West coast of Greenland. It lies at the mouth of the 40 kilometer long Kangia Icefjord, where the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier (the most productive in the Northern Hemisphere) disgorges massive icebergs into the waters of Disko Bay.
Why is the Ilulissat Icefjord important?
Studied for over 250 years, it has helped to develop our understanding of climate change and icecap glaciology. The combination of a huge ice-sheet and the dramatic sounds of a fast-moving glacial ice-stream calving into a fjord covered by icebergs makes for a dramatic and awe-inspiring natural phenomenon.
What temperature range is currently typical for air near the Ilulissat glacier?
Average winter (January) temperatures range from the low 20s F (about −7 °C) in the south to approximately −30 °F (about −34 °C) in the north. Summer temperatures along the southwestern coast average in the mid-40s F (about 7 °C) during July, while the average in the far north is closer to 40 °F (about 4 °C).
Why do glaciers matter?
Glaciers are sentinels of climate change. They are the most visible evidence of global warming today. For example, glaciers’ white surfaces reflect the sun’s rays, helping to keep our current climate mild. When glaciers melt, darker exposed surfaces absorb and release heat, raising temperatures.
How do I get to the Ilulissat?
You can fly to Ilulissat from either Iceland or Denmark. Flights from Iceland are direct and can be booked with either Air Greenland (out of Keflavik International Airport) or Air Iceland Connect (Reykjavik Domestic Airport). Flights from Denmark are operated by Air Greenland and arrive to Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq.
What is the fastest slowest moving glacier in the world?
| Jakobshavn Glacier | |
|---|---|
| Location within Greenland | |
| Type | Ice stream |
| Location | Near Ilulissat, Greenland |
| Coordinates | 69°10′N 49°50′WCoordinates: 69°10′N 49°50′W |