# Tanquary Fiord

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Fjord on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

Tanquary Fiord The north-east part of Tanquary Fiord with Tanquary Fiord Airport on the right Tanquary Fiord Location Location Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Coordinates 81°05′N 78°45′W / 81.083°N 78.750°W / 81.083; -78.750 Ocean/sea sources Nansen Sound via Greely Fiord Basin countries Canada

**Tanquary Fiord**[1] is a [fjord](/source/Fjord) on the north coast of the [Arctic Archipelago](/source/Arctic_Archipelago)'s [Ellesmere Island](/source/Ellesmere_Island), [Nunavut](/source/Nunavut), Canada. It is located in the [Quttinirpaaq National Park](/source/Quttinirpaaq_National_Park) and extends 48 km (30 mi) in a north-westerly direction from [Greely Fiord](/source/Greely_Fiord).

## History

[Radiocarbon dating](/source/Radiocarbon_dating) methods suggest that between 10,000 and 4,100 [BP](/source/Before_Present), [deglaciation](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deglaciation) occurred, followed by a period of glacial readvance and the formation of ice shelves until 2,400 BP. Until 1,400 BP, a period of glacial retreat occurred, and since then glacial readvance and nearby [ice rises](/source/Ice_rise) have marked the area.[2]

Radiocarbon analysis of charcoal undertaken by the [Geological Survey of Canada](/source/Geological_Survey_of_Canada) has shown that [Inuit](/source/Inuit) were present at Tanquary Fiord around 1070 BP at the latest.[3]

## Geography

The head of the Tanquary Fiord is the convergence point of four river valleys, three of which end in a [floodplain](/source/Floodplain) and one in a [river delta](/source/River_delta). [Carbon dating](/source/Carbon_dating) findings show that the fjord was free of [glacial ice](/source/Glacial_ice) approximately 6,500 years ago.[4] In the past 40 years, the terminal points of side [glaciers](/source/Glacier) have receded.[5]

Tanquary Fiord has 65 [frost](/source/Frost)-free days per year (enough to grow [lettuce](/source/Lettuce)), which is remarkable for its latitude. Summer temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F) have been recorded.[6]

## Human activity

In 1963, the [Defence Research Board](/source/Defence_Research_and_Development_Canada) began 'Operation Tanquary' in the area, with a focus on [oceanography](/source/Oceanography). The operation concluded in 1972.[7] As the fjord is in a remote location, there is little human habitation. A Warden Station is staffed by [Parks Canada](/source/Parks_Canada) during the summer months,[8] and [Tanquary Fiord Airport](/source/Tanquary_Fiord_Airport) is located nearby. It is possible to reach the area via [charter aircraft](/source/Charter_airline), or increasingly via [icebreaker](/source/Icebreaker) cruise ships.[9] In 1947, a [meteorological station](/source/Meteorological_station) was installed at [Eureka](/source/Eureka%2C_Nunavut), about 175 km (109 mi) southwest of the fiord.[10] The Fiord was named by Explorer [Donald Baxter MacMillan](/source/Donald_Baxter_MacMillan) in honor of his friend and fellow explorer [Maurice Cole Tanquary](/source/Maurice_Cole_Tanquary).[11] See also the [Crocker Land Expedition](/source/Crocker_Land_Expedition).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Tanquary Fiord"](https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=OAQDL). *[Geographical Names Data Base](/source/GeoBase_(geospatial_data)#Geographical_Names_Data_Base)*. [Natural Resources Canada](/source/Natural_Resources_Canada). Retrieved 2020-06-15.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lyons, J. & Mielke, J. (1973). ["Holocene History of a Portion of Northernmost Ellesmere Island"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100919140956/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic26-4-314.pdf) (PDF). [University of Calgary](/source/University_of_Calgary). Archived from [the original](http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic26-4-314.pdf) (PDF) on September 19, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Hattersley-Smith, G. ["An Archaeological Site on the North Coast of Ellesmere Island"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120304073554/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic26-3-255.pdf) (PDF). [University of Calgary](/source/University_of_Calgary). Archived from [the original](http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic26-3-255.pdf) (PDF) on March 4, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-postglacial_4-0)** Hattersley-Smith, G. & Long, A. ["Postglacial Uplift at Tanquary Fiord, Northern Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210042/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic20-4-255.pdf) (PDF). [University of Calgary](/source/University_of_Calgary). Archived from [the original](http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic20-4-255.pdf) (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Hattersley-Smith, G. (1968). ["Glacial features of Tanquary Fiord and adjoining areas of northern Ellesmere Island, N.W.T."](https://web.archive.org/web/20120312075501/http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0689115) Defence Research Telecommunications Establishment Ottawa (Ontario). Archived from [the original](http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0689115) on March 12, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-climate_6-0)** Serreze, Mark; [Barry, Roger Graham](/source/Roger_G._Barry) (2005). [*The Arctic climate system*](https://books.google.com/books?id=J2wzX6eTdOkC). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 219. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-81418-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-81418-8). Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** van Steenburgh, W. ["Canada"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110825091905/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic19-1-48.pdf) (PDF). [University of Calgary](/source/University_of_Calgary). Archived from [the original](http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic19-1-48.pdf) (PDF) on August 25, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada: Hours of Operation"](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nu/quttinirpaaq/visit/visit3.aspx). [Parks Canada](/source/Parks_Canada). 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada: How to Get There"](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nu/quttinirpaaq/visit/visit2.aspx). [Parks Canada](/source/Parks_Canada). 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Mills, William (2003). [*Exploring polar frontiers: a historical encyclopedia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=PYdBH4dOOM4C). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 211. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-57607-422-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57607-422-0). Retrieved July 20, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** MacMillan, Donald, Four Years in the White North, Harper Brothers Publishers, 1918, pg. 353.

v t e Fjords of Nunavut Kitikmeot Region Kangiqhuk Qikiqtaaluk Region Alexandra Arviqtujuq Kangiqtua Baumann Borup Cañon Greely Grise Fiord Kangiqtualuk Agguqti Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti Strathcona Tanquary Vendom

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