This fjord, whose Greenlandic name 'Sermilik' means 'place with glaciers' is located at the southern end of King Christian IX Land, west of Ammassalik Fjord. It is one of the largest fjords in the southeastern coast of Greenland. Its waters are fed by the Helheim Glacier, Fenris Glacier and Midgard Glacier among others. The fjord stretches inland in a roughly northern direction and splits into two branches at its head —at the southern limit of Schweizerland, the western one being the Helheim Fjord and the right one the Ningerti.[1]
Sermilik's mouth is located between Kitak Island and Cape Tycho Brahe in the Denmark Strait area of the Atlantic Ocean. Kangersivartikajik is the next fjord to the east along the coast. Near the fjord's entrance on the western side there is the island of Qeertartivatsiaq at the mouth of Johan Petersen Fjord and its eastern branch, the Stoklund Fjord. Sermilik is surrounded by jagged mountainous landscape and its coast is mostly very irregular and steep.[2]
Historyedit
Initially Fridtjof Nansen had thought that Sermilik would offer a route up to reach the ice cap for his projected westward overland crossing. On 3 June 1888 Nansen's party was picked up from the north-western Icelandic port of Ísafjörður by Norwegian sealer Jason. A week later the Greenland coast was sighted, but progress was hindered by thick pack ice. On 17 July, with the coast still 20 kilometres (12 mi) away, Nansen decided to launch the small boats; they were within sight of the Sermilik Fjord, which Nansen had deemed a good place to reach the ice sheet in order to cross it and reach Christianshåb.[3]
The expedition left Jason "in good spirits and with the highest hopes of a fortunate result", according to Jason's captain.[3] There followed days of extreme frustration for the party as, prevented by weather and sea conditions from reaching the shore, they drifted southwards with the ice. Most of this time was spent camping on the ice itself—it was too dangerous to launch the boats. By 29 July they were 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of the point where they had left the ship. On that day they finally reached land, but were too far south to begin the crossing. After a brief rest, Nansen ordered the team back into the boats and to begin rowing north. In the end Nansen finally began his crossing at Umivik Bay.[4]
Galleryedit
Seal hunting vessel Jason stuck in the ice off Sermilik in 1888. The ship had the members of the Greenland Expedition on board.
Nansen's 1888 route across Greenland showing Sermilik and Umivik in the east coast.
Bjarne Grønnow, Jens Fog Jensen (2003). The Northernmost Ruins of the Globe. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN978-8763512626
Mernild, S. H.; Liston, G. E.; Howat, I. M.; Ahn, Y.; Steffen, K.; Hasholt, B.; Jakobsen, B. H.; Fog, B.; van As, D., Freshwater flux to Sermilik Fjord, SE Greenland
sermilik, fjord, southern, greenland, southern, glacier, canada, glacier, danish, egede, rothes, fjord, fjord, eastern, greenland, part, sermersooq, municipality, egede, rothes, fjord, danish, helheim, fjord, part, system, location, greenlandlocationarcticcoor. For the fjord in southern Greenland see Southern Sermilik For the glacier in Canada see Sermilik Glacier Sermilik Danish Egede og Rothes Fjord is a fjord in eastern Greenland It is part of the Sermersooq municipality SermilikEgede og Rothes Fjord Danish Helheim Fjord part of the Sermilik system SermilikLocation in GreenlandLocationArcticCoordinates66 0 N 37 52 W 66 000 N 37 867 W 66 000 37 867Ocean sea sourcesNorth Atlantic OceanBasin countriesGreenlandMax length81 km 50 mi Max width14 km 8 7 mi The settlement of Tasiilaq is located about 15 km to the east of the mouth of the fjord Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 Bibliography 6 References 7 External linksGeography edit nbsp Sermilik This fjord whose Greenlandic name Sermilik means place with glaciers is located at the southern end of King Christian IX Land west of Ammassalik Fjord It is one of the largest fjords in the southeastern coast of Greenland Its waters are fed by the Helheim Glacier Fenris Glacier and Midgard Glacier among others The fjord stretches inland in a roughly northern direction and splits into two branches at its head at the southern limit of Schweizerland the western one being the Helheim Fjord and the right one the Ningerti 1 Sermilik s mouth is located between Kitak Island and Cape Tycho Brahe in the Denmark Strait area of the Atlantic Ocean Kangersivartikajik is the next fjord to the east along the coast Near the fjord s entrance on the western side there is the island of Qeertartivatsiaq at the mouth of Johan Petersen Fjord and its eastern branch the Stoklund Fjord Sermilik is surrounded by jagged mountainous landscape and its coast is mostly very irregular and steep 2 History editInitially Fridtjof Nansen had thought that Sermilik would offer a route up to reach the ice cap for his projected westward overland crossing On 3 June 1888 Nansen s party was picked up from the north western Icelandic port of Isafjordur by Norwegian sealer Jason A week later the Greenland coast was sighted but progress was hindered by thick pack ice On 17 July with the coast still 20 kilometres 12 mi away Nansen decided to launch the small boats they were within sight of the Sermilik Fjord which Nansen had deemed a good place to reach the ice sheet in order to cross it and reach Christianshab 3 The expedition left Jason in good spirits and with the highest hopes of a fortunate result according to Jason s captain 3 There followed days of extreme frustration for the party as prevented by weather and sea conditions from reaching the shore they drifted southwards with the ice Most of this time was spent camping on the ice itself it was too dangerous to launch the boats By 29 July they were 380 kilometres 240 mi south of the point where they had left the ship On that day they finally reached land but were too far south to begin the crossing After a brief rest Nansen ordered the team back into the boats and to begin rowing north In the end Nansen finally began his crossing at Umivik Bay 4 Gallery edit nbsp Seal hunting vessel Jason stuck in the ice off Sermilik in 1888 The ship had the members of the Greenland Expedition on board nbsp Nansen s 1888 route across Greenland showing Sermilik and Umivik in the east coast nbsp Map of Ammassalik Island with Sermilik in the left See also editList of fjords of Greenland Ammassalik Island Kristian Kristiansen explorer Sermilik Station SermiligaaqBibliography editBjarne Gronnow Jens Fog Jensen 2003 The Northernmost Ruins of the Globe Museum Tusculanum Press ISBN 978 8763512626 Mernild S H Liston G E Howat I M Ahn Y Steffen K Hasholt B Jakobsen B H Fog B van As D Freshwater flux to Sermilik Fjord SE Greenland Huntford Roland 2001 Nansen London Abacus ISBN 0 349 11492 7 First published in 1997 by Gerald Duckworth Reynolds E E 1949 Nansen Harmondsworth UK Penguin Books References edit Sermilik Mapcarta Retrieved 11 April 2016 Prostar Sailing Directions 2005 Greenland and Iceland Enroute p 104 a b Huntford pp 97 99 Reynolds pp 48 52External links edit nbsp Media related to Sermilik at Wikimedia Commons Iceberg Collapse Sermilik Fjord East Greenland Hiking in Sermilik Greenpeace Sermilik Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sermilik amp oldid 1064691366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
