Buchan Gulf

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Buchan Gulf
Location map Nunavut 2.png
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Buchan Gulf
Location in Nunavut
Location Arctic
Coordinates 71°49′48″N074°30′00″W / 71.83000°N 74.50000°W / 71.83000; -74.50000 Coordinates: 71°49′48″N074°30′00″W / 71.83000°N 74.50000°W / 71.83000; -74.50000
Ocean/sea sources Baffin Bay
Basin  countries Nunavut, Canada
Surface area 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi)

Buchan Gulf is an isolated, elongated Arctic fjord on Baffin Island's northeastern coast in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. The Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet is 200 km (120 mi) to the north.

Arctic polar region on the Earths northern hemisphere

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Northern Canada, Norway, Russia and Sweden. Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover, with predominantly treeless permafrost -containing tundra. Arctic seas contain seasonal sea ice in many places.

Fjord A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity

Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. There are many fjords on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Kamchatka, the Kerguelen Islands, New Zealand, Norway, Novaya Zemlya, Labrador, Nunavut, Newfoundland, Quebec, Scotland, South Georgia Island, and Washington state. Norway's coastline is estimated at 29,000 kilometres (18,000 mi) with nearly 1,200 fjords, but only 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) when fjords are excluded.

Baffin Island mostly Arctic island in Nunavut, Canada

Baffin Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is 507,451 km2 (195,928 sq mi) and its population is about 11,000. It is located in the region of 70° N and 75° W.

Contents

Geography

Characterized by open sea, coastal cliffs, and rocky marine shores, the gulf stretches 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi) with an elevation ranging up to 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level.

Fauna

It is a Canadian Important Bird Area (#NU069), an International Biological Program site (Region 9, #7-11), and a Key Migratory Bird Terrestrial Habitat site. There is a sizeable population of northern fulmars. [1] Megafauna which can be seen in the water include polar bears, walruses, and narwhals.

Important Bird Area area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of birds populations

An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.

The International Biological Program (IBP) was an effort between 1964 and 1974 to coordinate large-scale ecological and environmental studies. Organized in the wake of the successful International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-1958, the International Biological Program was an attempt to apply the methods of big science to ecosystem ecology and pressing environmental issues.

A Key Habitat Site is a Canadian Wildlife Service designation for an area that supports at least 1% of the country's population of any migratory bird species, or subspecies, at any time. There may be overlap with areas designated as a migratory bird sanctuary or National Wildlife Area.

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References

  1. "Buchan Gulf". bsc-eoc.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2009-04-24.