# Baffin Mountains

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Mountain range in Nunavut, Canada

Baffin Mountains Summit Lake, mountains, Auyuittuq National Park Highest point Peak Mount Odin Elevation 2,147 m (7,044 ft) Coordinates 66°33′N 65°26′W / 66.550°N 65.433°W / 66.550; -65.433 Geography Satellite image of Baffin Island, the Baffin Mountains are seen in northeastern Baffin Island Country Canada Territory Nunavut Regions Baffin Island and Bylot Island Parent range Arctic Cordillera

The **Baffin Mountains** are a [mountain range](/source/Mountain_range) running along the northeastern coast of [Baffin Island](/source/Baffin_Island) and [Bylot Island](/source/Bylot_Island), [Nunavut](/source/Nunavut), Canada. The ice-capped mountains are part of the [Arctic Cordillera](/source/Arctic_Cordillera) and have some of the highest peaks of eastern [North America](/source/North_America), reaching a height of 1,525–2,146 metres (5,003–7,041 ft) above [sea level](/source/Sea_level).[1] While they are separated by bodies of water to make Baffin Island, they are closely related to the other mountain ranges that make the much larger Arctic Cordillera mountain range.[2]

## Terrain

The highest point is [Mount Odin](/source/Mount_Odin) at 2,147 m (7,044 ft)[3][4] while [Mount Asgard](/source/Mount_Asgard) (*Sivanitirutinguak*) at 2,015 m (6,611 ft) is perhaps the best known.[5] The highest point in the northern Baffin Mountains is [Qiajivik Mountain](/source/Qiajivik_Mountain) at 1,963 m (6,440 ft).[6] There are no trees in the Baffin Mountains because they are north of the [Arctic](/source/Arctic) [tree line](/source/Tree_line). Rocks that compose the Baffin Mountains are primarily deeply dissected [granitic](/source/Granite) rocks. They were covered with ice until about 1500 years ago, and vast parts of them are still ice-covered. [Geologically](/source/Geology), the Baffin Mountains form the eastern edge of the [Canadian Shield](/source/Canadian_Shield), which covers much of Canada's landscape.

Baffin Mountains in [Auyuittuq National Park](/source/Auyuittuq_National_Park)

[Mount Asgard](/source/Mount_Asgard)

[Mount Thor](/source/Mount_Thor)

Mount Loki, [Penny Icecap](/source/Penny_Ice_Cap), [Baffin Is.](/source/Baffin_Island)

Highest Peaks of the Baffin Mountains Rank Name m ft 1 Mount Odin 2147 7044 2 Mount Asgard 2015 6611 3 Qiajivik Mountain 1963 6440 4 Angilaaq Mountain 1951 6401 5 Kisimngiuqtuq Peak 1905 6250 6 Ukpik Peak 1809 5935 7 Bastille Peak 1733 5686 8 Mount Thule 1711 5614 9 Angna Mountain 1710 5610 10 Mount Thor 1675 5495

## Glaciation

The ranges of the Baffin Mountains are separated by deep [fjords](/source/Fjord) and glaciated valleys with many spectacular glacial and ice-capped mountains. The snowfall in the Baffin Mountains is light, much less than in places like the [Saint Elias Mountains](/source/Saint_Elias_Mountains) in southeastern [Alaska](/source/Alaska) and southwestern [Yukon](/source/Yukon) which are plastered with snow.

The largest [ice cap](/source/Ice_cap) in the Baffin Mountains is the [Penny Ice Cap](/source/Penny_Ice_Cap), which has an area of 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi). During the mid-1990s, Canadian researchers studied the glacier's patterns of freezing and thawing over centuries by drilling ice core samples.[7]

## Flora and fauna

The dominant vegetation in the Baffin Mountains is a discontinuous cover of [mosses](/source/Moss), [lichens](/source/Lichen) and cold-hardy [vascular plants](/source/Vascular_plant) such as [sedge](/source/Cyperaceae) and [cottongrass](/source/Eriophorum).

## History

One of the first mountaineering expeditions in the Baffin Mountains was in 1934 by J.M Wordie, in which two peaks called [Pioneer Peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pioneer_Peak_(Nunavut)&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Longstaff Tower](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Longstaff_Tower&action=edit&redlink=1) were climbed.

The [Auyuittuq National Park](/source/Auyuittuq_National_Park) was established in 1976. It features much Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, [glaciers](/source/Glacier) and [ice fields](/source/Ice_field). In [Inuktitut](/source/Inuktitut) – the language of Nunavut's Aboriginal people, [Inuit](/source/Inuit) – Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts". Although Auyuittuq was established in 1976 as a national park reserve, it was upgraded to a full national park in 2000.

There were Inuit settlements in the Baffin Mountains before European contact. The first European contact is believed to have been by [Norse](/source/Norsemen) explorers in the 11th century, but the first recorded sighting of Baffin Island was made by [Martin Frobisher](/source/Martin_Frobisher) during his search for the [Northwest Passage](/source/Northwest_Passage) in 1576.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Baffin Mountains](http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Framework/Nardesc/Region.cfm?region=5)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] Retrieved on 2007-10-06

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Park Wardens - Arctic Cordillera](https://web.archive.org/web/20080217182242/http://www.parkwardens.com/zone1/1.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Mount Odin, Nunavut"](http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=695). *Peakbagger.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Mount Odin"](https://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=266). *Bivouac.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Baffin Island"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122101/http://www.peakware.com/areas.html?a=310). *Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia*. Archived from [the original](http://www.peakware.com/areas.html?a=310) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2007-10-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Qiajivik Mountain"](https://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=12827). *Bivouac.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Nunatsiaq News: Penney Ice Cap shrinking like the rest?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080512045855/http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/60421/news/nunavut/60421_08.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/60421/news/nunavut/60421_08.html) on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-01-10.

v t e Arctic Cordillera of Canada Ranges Adam Baffin Blackwelder Blue Boulder British Empire Bruce Byan Martin Challenger Conger Cunningham Douro Everett Garfield Geodetic Grinnell Grogan Morgan Haddington Hartz Inglefield Innuitian Jeffries Joy Kaumajet Krag Krieger Osborn Precipitous Prince of Wales Princess Margaret Sawtooth Scoresby Selamiut Stokes Swiss Thorndike Torngat Treuter United States Victoria and Albert White Triplets Mountains Angilaaq Angna Arrowhead Arthur Asgard Ayles Baldr Barbeau Bastille Battle Beaufort Biederbick Bishop's Mitre Brave Breidablik Caubvick Cirque Commonwealth Eugene Highpointer Innuit Kisimngiuqtuq Midnight Sun Nukap Odin Outlook Oxford Qiajivik Stokes Thor Thule Torngarsoak Ukpik Whisler White Crown Passes Akshayuk Ayr Bryant Cockscomb Eskimo Eureka Fortress Glacier Kingnait Perfection Pioneer Piper Polar Bear Revoir Singeyer Strand Fiord Sverdrup Van Hauen Yelverton Glaciers Ad Astra Ice Cap Agassiz Ice Cap Barnes Ice Cap Benedict Coronation Devon Ice Cap Disraeli Eugenie Gull Jimi Maasi Kaparoqtalik Keyhole Kiitarayuk Macculloch Narsarsuk Nuuksuq Oliver Parrish Penny Ice Cap Sermilik Sven Hedin Turnabout Utinatuk West Pioneer Regions Amund Ringnes Axel Heiberg Baffin Bathurst Bylot Coburg Cornwall Devon Ellef Ringnes Ellesmere Helena Île Vanier Labrador Lougheed Quebec Communities Alert Clyde River Eureka Grise Fiord Iqaluit Pangnirtung Pond Inlet Qikiqtarjuaq List of communities in Nunavut Parks Auyuittuq Quttinirpaaq Sirmilik Torngat Mountains

v t e Mountains of Nunavut Kitikmeot Region Uvayuq Shaler Kivalliq Region Minto Qikiqtaaluk Region Apex Polar Sun Spire Arctic Cordillera Adam Angilaaq Angna Arthur Asgard Baffin Baldr Bastille Battle Beaufort Biederbick Blackwelder Blue Boulder Breidablik Bruce Byam Martin Challenger Commonwealth Conger Cunningham Douro Everett Garfield Geodetic Grinnell Grogan Morgan Haddington Hartz Inglefield Innuitian Jeffries Joy Kisimngiuqtuq Krag Krieger Midnight Sun Nukap Odin Osborn Outlook Precipitous Prince of Wales Princess Margaret Qiajivik Sawtooth Scoresby Stokes Stokes Swiss Thor Thorndike Thule Torngat Treuter Ukpik Victoria and Albert White Crown White Triplets British Empire Range Arrowhead Ayles Barbeau Highpointer Oxford Whisler United States Range Eugene Mountains portal Canada portal

v t e Mountain ranges of Nunavut Kitikmeot Region Shaler Qikiqtaaluk Region Adam Arctic Cordillera Baffin Belcher Blackwelder Blue Boulder British Empire Bruce Byam Martin Challenger Conger Cunningham Douro Everett Garfield Geodetic Grinnell Grogan Morgan Haddington Hartz Inglefield Innuitian Jeffries Joy Krag Krieger Osborn Precipitous Prince of Wales Princess Margaret Sawtooth Scoresby Stokes Swiss Thorndike Treuter United States Victoria and Albert White Triplets

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Baffin Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baffin_Mountains) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baffin_Mountains?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.