Alluttoq Island (Danish: Arveprinsen Ejland) is a large 655 km2 (252.9 sq mi), uninhabited[1] island in Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located in the northern part of Disko Bay, in the outlet of the Sullorsuaq Strait, east of Disko Island.[2]
Native name: Arveprinsen Ejland | |
|---|---|
 Abandoned buildings in Ataa on the eastern coast | |
 Map of Alluttoq Island | |
  Alluttoq Island Location of Alluttoq Island in Greenland | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Baffin Bay |
| Coordinates | 69°44′30″N 51°08′00″W / 69.74167°N 51.13333°W |
| Area | 626 km2 (242 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 13th largest in Greenland |
| Administration | |
| Municipality | Avannaata |
| Abandoned settlement | Ataa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Pop. density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | none |
Settlement
editAtaa, located on the eastern coast of the island, is an abandoned settlement, with the last families leaving the village around 1960. The closest populated settlements are Qeqertaq to the northeast, on an island off the Nuussuaq Peninsula, and Oqaatsut to the southeast, on the mainland.
History
editResearch indicates that megatsunamis generated by large landslides into Sullorsuaq Strait (known in Danish as Vaigat Strait) struck Alluttoq Island at least twice in prehistory. A wave that struck sometime around 5,650 BC had a run-up height of 41 to 66 metres (135 to 217 ft), and another that struck around 5,350 BC had a run-up height of 45 to 70 metres (148 to 230 ft).[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Norwegian University of Science and Technology Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Qeqertarsuup Tunua, Saga Map, 1:250.000, Tage Schjøtt, 1992
- ^ Korsgaard, Niels J.; Svennevig, Kristian; Søndergaard, Anne S.; Luetzenburg, Gregor; Oksman, Mimmi; Larsen, Nicolaj K. (13 March 2023). "Giant mid-Holocene landslide-generated tsunamis recorded in lake sediments from Saqqaq, West Greenland". copernicus.org. European Geosciences Union. Retrieved 12 October 2023.