Everything about The Arctic Cordillera totally explained
The
Arctic Cordillera, sometimes called the
Arctic Rockies, are a vast deeply dissected mountain system, running along the northeastern shore of
North America, extending southeast from
Ellesmere Island and covering most of the eastern coast of
Nunavut, a distance of well over . The mountain system covers much of the
Canadian Arctic Archipelago with high
glaciated peaks rising through
icefields and some of Canada's largest
ice caps, such as the
Penny Ice Cap on
Baffin Island. It is bounded to the east by
Baffin Bay,
Davis Strait and the
Labrador Sea while its northern portion is bounded by the
Arctic Ocean.
Overview
The range is mostly located in
Nunavut but extends southeast into the northernmost tip of
Labrador and northeastern
Quebec. The system is divided into a series of ranges, with mountains reaching heights more than . The highest of the group is
Barbeau Peak on
Ellesmere Island at, which is the highest point in eastern
North America (if one defines North America as Canada and the
United States). The system is also one of Canada's two major mountain systems, the other being the
Rocky Mountains of
Western Canada. Some of Canada's highest but least known peaks are found within the group, and offers some of the world's most spectacular scenery.
Geography
Regions
The Arctic Cordillera contains numerous regions. Much of
Ellesmere Island is covered by the Arctic Cordillera, making it the most mountainous in the
Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is considered part of the
Queen Elizabeth Islands, with
Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada. It encompasses an area of
196,235 km² (75,767 sq mi), making it the
world's tenth largest island and
Canada's third largest island. The first inhabitants of Ellesmere Island were small bands of
Inuit drawn to the area for
Peary Caribou,
muskox, and
marine mammal hunting about 1000-2000 BC.
Axel Heiberg Island is one of the several members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the largest of the
Sverdrup Islands. It has been inhabited in the past by Inuit people, but was uninhabited by the time it was named by
Otto Sverdrup, who explored it around 1900. In 1959, scientists from
McGill University explored Expedition Fiord in central Axel Heiberg Island. This resulted in the establishment of the
McGill Arctic Research Station, constructed inland from Expedition Fjord in 1960.
Baffin Island is the
largest island in Canada and the
fifth largest island in the world, with an area of 507,451 km² (195,928 sq mi).
The largest uninhabited island on
Earth,
Devon Island is the second-largest of the
Queen Elizabeth Islands, the
27th largest island in the world and
Canada's 6th largest island. An outpost was established at
Dundas Harbour in August 1924 as part of a government presence intended to curd foreign
whaling and other activity.
Much of
Bylot Island is covered by the Arctic Cordillera. At 11,067 km² (4,273 sq mi) it's ranked
71st largest island in the world and
Canada's 17th largest island. While there are no permanent settlements on this
Canadian Arctic island,
Inuit from
Pond Inlet and elsewhere regularly travel to Bylot Island.
Protected areas
More than one-fifth of
Ellesmere Island is protected as
Quttinirpaaq National Park (formerly Ellesmere Island National Park), which includes seven
fjords and a variety of
glaciers, as well as
Lake Hazen, the world's largest lake north of the
Arctic Circle.
Barbeau Peak, the highest mountain in Nunavut (2,616 m, 8,593 ft) is located in the
British Empire Range on Ellesmere Island. The most northern
mountain range in the world, the
Challenger Mountains is located in the northwest region of the island. The northern lobe of the island is called
Grant Land. In July 2007, a study noted the disappearance of
habitat for waterfowl, invertebrates, and algae on Ellesmere Island. According to John P. Smol of
Queens University in
Kingston, Ontario, and Marianne S. V. Douglas of the
University of Alberta in Edmonton, warming conditions and evaporation have caused low water levels changes in the chemistry of ponds and wetlands in the area. The researchers noted that "In the 1980s they often needed to wear hip waders to make their way to the ponds...while by 2006 the same areas were dry enough to burn.
Sirmilik National Park in northern
Baffin Island harbours large populations of
thick-billed murres,
Black-legged_Kittiwakes and
greater snow geese. The park comprises three areas,
Bylot Island,
Oliver Sound and the
Borden Peninsula.
The
Auyuittuq National Park located on Baffin Island's
Cumberland Peninsula, features the many terrains of
Arctic wilderness, such as
fjords,
glaciers, and
ice fields. In
Inuktitut - the language of Nunavut's Aboriginal people,
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. Well known peaks in the park include
Mount Asgard and
Mount Thor with a 1,250 meter (4,100 foot), 105° face.
The
Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve located on the
Labrador Peninsula, covers much of the southern end of the Arctic Cordillera. It protects many of the Arctic wilderness, such as
caribou,
polar bears,
peregrine falcon and the
golden eagle. The park was first established on
January 22,
2005, making it the first national park to be created in Labrador.
Glaciers and ice caps
The drier northern section of the Arctic Cordillera is largely covered with
ice caps while
glaciers are more common at the more humid southern end. Large portions of Ellesmere Island are covered with glaciers and ice, with Manson Icefield and Sydkap in the south; Prince of Wales Icefield and Agassiz Ice Cap along the central-east side of the island, along with substantial ice cover in Northern Ellesmere Island. The northwest coast of Ellesmere Island was covered by a massive, 500 km (300 mi) long ice shelf until the twentieth century. The Ellesmere ice shelf reduced by 90 percent in the twentieth century due to
global warming, leaving the separate Alfred Ernest, Ayles, Milne, Ward Hunt, and Markham Ice Shelves. A 1986 survey of Canadian ice shelves found that (3.3 km³, 0.8 cu mi) of ice calved from the
Milne and
Ayles ice shelves between 1959 and 1974. The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, the largest remaining section of thick (>10 m, >30 ft) landfast sea ice along the northern coastline of Ellesmere Island, lost 600 km (370 mi) of ice in a massive calving in 1961-1962. It further decreased by 27% in thickness (13 m, 43 ft) between 1967 and 1999. The breakup of the Ellesmere ice shelves has continued in the twenty-first century: the Ward Ice Shelf experienced a major breakup during summer 2002; the
Ayles Ice Shelf calved entirely on August 13, 2005; the largest breakoff of the ice shelf in 25 years, it may pose a threat to the oil industry in the
Beaufort Sea. The piece is .
The
Barnes icecap is found in the central part of the Baffin Island and it has been in retreat since at least the early
1960s when the Geographical Branch of the then Department of Mines & Technical Surveys sent a three-man survey team to the area to measure isostatic rebound and cross-valley features of the
Isortoq River.
Geology
The northern portion of the Arctic Cordillera was uplifted during the
Innuitian orogeny when the
North American Plate moved northward during the mid
Mesozoic. It contains
igneous and
metamorphic rocks, but for the most part is composed of
sedimentary rocks. Mountains on
Axel Heiberg Island consist mainly of long
ridges of folded mid
Mesozoic and
Palaeozoic strata with minor
igneous intrusions.
The Arctic Cordillera is younger than the
Appalachians, and so erosion hasn't had time to reduce it to rounded
hills. The mountains are also barren because
trees can neither survive the extremely cold winter temperatures, nor grow during the short
summers. Vast areas are covered by permanent ice and snow. The Arctic Cordillera resembles the Appalachians in composition and contain similar types of
minerals. The mineral resources have not been greatly exploited, however, because the region's remote location makes development too costly when cheaper alternatives exist further south.
Mountains on southeastern
Ellesmere Island are principally made of
granitic gneiss, migmatic, undifferentiated intrusive and volcanic rocks. They are typified by being highly
eroded, with conspicuous deep vertical fissures and narrow ledges.
The Arctic Cordillera form the eastern edge of the
Canadian Shield, which covers much of Canada's landscape.
Precambrian rock is the major component of the
bedrock.
Volcanism
Mountains of
volcanic rock range in age from 1.2 billion to 65 million years old. The
Late Cretaceous Ellesmere Island Volcanics has been uncertainly associated to both the early volcanic activity of the
Iceland hotspot and the
Alpha Ridge. Even though these volcanics are about 90 million years old, the volcanoes and
cinder are still able to be seen.
The Late Cretaceous
Strand Fiord Formation is interpreted to represent the cratonward extension of the
Alpha Ridge, a volcanic ridge that was active during the formation of the
Amerasian Basin. The formation is part of the thick Sverdrup Basin succession and immediately precedes the final basin foundering event. The Strand Fiord volcanics are encased in marine strata and thin southward from a maximum thickness of 789+ m on northwestern Axel Heiberg to a zero edge near the southern shore of the island.
Tholeiitic icelandite basalt flows are the main constituent of the formation with pyroclastic conglomerates,
sandstones,
mudrocks and rare coal seams are also present. The lava flows range in thickness from 6 to 60 m and subaerial flows predominate. Both
pahoehoe and
aa lava types are common and the volcanic pile accumulated mostly by the quiet
effusion of lavas. The
pyroclastic lithologies become more common near the southern and eastern edges of the formation and represent
lahars and beach to shallow marine reworked deposits. The formation contains
flood basalts which are found on western
Axel Heiberg Island at
Dragon Cliffs 300 meters tall. It contains columnar jointing units that are usually 1 to 3 meters in diameter.
The
Bravo Lake Formation in central
Baffin Island is a rare alkaline-suite that formed as a result of submarine
rifting during the
Paleoproterozoic period. The lavas of the
volcanic belt display geochemical characteristics similar to modern ocean-island-basalt groups. The range from moderately to intensely fractionated REE-profiles is similar to that from
tholeiitic basalts to extremely
alkaline lavas in
Hawaii.
Flora and fauna
Not much can grow in the severe environment, where killing frost can come at any time during the year and even
soil is rare. Three-quarters of the land is bare
rock; and even
lichen have a hard time of it.
Trees are hardly noticeable. Plants that do grow in the region are mostly tiny species that often grow in thick isolating mats to protect themselves from the cold or are covered in thick hairs that help to insulate and to protect them from the harsh wind.
Some of the plant species found are arctic black spruce, arctic willow, cottongrass, kobresia, moss species, wood rush, wire rush, purple saxifrage, Dryas species, sedges, Diapensia, arctic poppy, mountain avens, mountain sorrel, river beauty, moss campion, bilberry, and arctic white heather.
The conditions here are far too severe for
reptiles and
amphibians to survive, and
insects are also rare in the region.
Muskoxen and barren-ground caribou are the only well-built herbivores in this environment, while
polar bears and the
arctic wolf are the only well-built carnivores to be found in the region. Smaller herbivores include the
arctic hare and the
collared lemming.
Arctic foxes and
stoats are some of the smaller carnivores found in the region. Marine mammals include
narwhals,
beluga whales,
walrus, and
ringed and
bearded seals.
The furry-legged
rock ptarmigan is a widespread bird in this desolate region. Typical birds of prey include the
gyrfalcon and
snowy owl. Some of the more widespread shore and seabirds are the thick-billed murre, black-legged kittiwake, ruddy turnstone,
red knot,
black guillemot, widespread
ringed plover, little ringed plover and northern fulmar. Songbirds found in the Arctic Cordillera include the hoary redpoll, common redpoll, snow bunting, and lapland longspur. The snow goose, common and king eider, and red-throated loon are some species of waterfowl that live in the region.
Climate
The Arctic Cordillera is one of Canada's most inhospitable climates. During
winter, the temperature is nearly -35°C and it's very dark and long, while it's somewhat milder and more humid in the southernmost portions of the
cordillera. Only about 1,050 people live in the region, found primarily in the communities of
Clyde River and
Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly known as Broughton Island). Most of the people who live in the region survive by
hunting,
fishing, and
trapping.
Tree stumps were discovered in
1985 on
Axel Heiberg Island dating back 40 million years, indicating this northerly part of the
cordillera was warmer and wetter than its present-day climate.
With
climate change, the biodiversity of this ecozone would likely increase. As the average temperature rises, more species would be able to inhabit this formerly cold and barren location. Since the currently limited biodiversity of the Arctic Cordillera is largely due to its cold climate and conditions, the effect of climate change will likely cause the biodiversity to increase dramatically as well. Also, the melting of ice and glaciers will make room for more species of plantae to thrive, as well as cause the appearance of fungi species.
However, while this predicted melting of its
glaciers will be beneficial to the Arctic Cordillera's biodiversity, it'll only increase the world's
sea level and consequently submerge low-lying nations in other parts of the world. Therefore a seemingly positive effect has its downside as well.
Highest peaks
| Mountain/Peak |
etres |
feet |
notes |
| Barbeau Peak |
2,616 |
8,583 |
Highest point in eastern North America |
| Mount Whisler |
2,500 |
8,202 |
Seconed highest point in eastern North America |
| Commonwealth Mountain |
2,225 |
7,300 |
|
| Mount Oxford |
2,210 |
7,251 |
|
| Outlook Peak |
2,210 |
7,251 |
Highest point on Axel Heiberg Island |
| Mount Odin |
2,147 |
7,044 |
Highest point on Baffin Island |
| Mount Asgard |
2,015 |
6,611 |
|
| Qiajivik Mountain |
1,963 |
6,440 |
Highest point in northern Baffin Island |
| Angilaaq Mountain |
1,951 |
6,401 |
Highest point on Bylot Island |
| Kisimngiuqtuq Peak |
1,905 |
6,250 |
|
| Arrowhead Mountain |
1,860 |
6,102 |
|
| Mount Eugene |
1,850 |
6,070 |
|
| Ukpik Peak |
1,809 |
5,935 |
|
| Mount Nukap |
1,780 |
5,840 |
|
| Bastille Peak |
1,733 |
5,656 |
|
| Mount Thule |
1,711 |
5,614 |
|
| Angna Mountain |
1,710 |
5,610 |
|
| Mount Thor |
1,675 |
5,500 |
Features the Earth's greatest purely vertical drop |
| Mount Caubvick |
1,642 |
5,387 |
Highest point in mainland Canada east of Alberta |
Mountain ranges
Several subranges of the Arctic Cordillera have official names. These are:
- Adam Range: On central Île Vanier.
- Baffin Mountains: Along eastern Baffin Island.
- Blackwelder Mountains: On eastern Ellesmere Island.
- Blue Mountains: On eastern Ellesmere Island.
- Boulder Hills: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- British Empire Range: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- Bruce Mountains: Along eastern Baffin Island.
- Byam Martin Mountains: Bylot Island.
- Challenger Mountains: On northeastern Ellesmere Island.
- Conger Range: In southern Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island.
- Cunningham Mountains: On southern Devon Island.
- Douro Range: On northwestern Devon Island.
- Everett Mountains: West of Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island.
- Garfield Range: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- Geodetic Hills: On central Axel Heiberg Island.
- Grinnell Range: On northwestern Devon Island.
- Grogan Morgan Range: On northern Bathurst Island.
- Haddington Range: On northwestern Devon Island.
- Hartz Mountains: On northern Baffin Island.
- Inglefield Mountains: On southeastern Ellesmere Island.
- Innuitian Mountains: On Ellesmere Island, Axal Heiberg Island, Bathurst Island, northeastern Devon Island and Île Vanier.
- Jeffries Range: On northern Bathurst Island.
- Joy Range: On southeastern Axal Heiberg Island.
- Krag Mountains: On north-central Baffin Island.
- Krieger Mountains: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- Osborn Range: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- Precipitous Mountains: On north-central Baffin Island.
- Prince of Wales Mountains: On central Ellesmere Island.
- Princess Margaret Range: On central Axal Heiberg Island.
- Sawtooth Range: Between the Posheim Peninsula and Wolf Valley on Ellesmere Island.
- Selamiut Range: On the northernmost tip of Labrador.
- Scoresby Hills: On eastern Bathurst Island.
- Stokes Range: On northern Bathurst Island.
- Swiss Range: On central Axal Heiberg Island.
- Thorndike Peaks: On southern Ellesmere Island.
- Torngat Mountains: On the northernmost tip of Labrador.
- Treuter Mountains: On northern Devon Island.
- United States Range: On northern Ellesmere Island.
- Victoria and Albert Mountains: Along eastern Ellesmere Island.
- White Triplets Peaks: On central Axal Heiberg Island.
Further Information
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