Aajuitsup Tasia

Aajuitsup Tasia
Aajuitsup Tasia
	Southern and northern shores of Aajuitsup Tasia
	Aajuitsup Tasia Location within Greenland
Location	Greenland
Coordinates	67°05′N 50°23′W / 67.083°N 50.383°W
Lake type	oligotroph
Basin countries	Greenland
Max. length	10 km (6.2 mi)
Max. width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Average depth	32 m (105 ft)

Aajuitsup Tasia (old spelling: Aujuitsup Tasia) is a large lake in central-western Greenland, in the Qeqqata municipality. It is located approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Kangerlussuaq. It is of elongated oval shape, with its western shore at 67°04′45″N 50°30′02″W / 67.07917°N 50.50056°W / 67.07917; -50.50056 and its eastern shore at 67°05′35″N 50°16′30″W / 67.09306°N 50.27500°W / 67.09306; -50.27500.^[1] Aajuitsup Tasia is an oligotrophic lake of 32 m (105 ft) depth, covering an area of 1,350ha.^[2]

Geography[edit]

The 2x10 km^[1] lake is separated from the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua valley and Kangerlussuaq in the south by a low tundra ridge − part of the Kangaamiut dike swarm. To the west lies a sibling Sanningasoq twin lake. To the north-east lies the wide highland of Isunngua.

The surface of Aajuitsup Tasia is almost level with the surface of the neighboring meltwater lake, an outflow of Russell Glacier. The altitude differential produces an outflowing boggy stream flowing from Aajuitsup Tasia to the unnamed meltwater lake, allowing Aajuitsup Tasia to retain its freshwater character despite being directly in the glacier outflow path.

Photographs[edit]

Eastern shore of Aajuitsup Tasia
Color differential - fresh water of Aajuitsup Tasia, and meltwater of unnamed outflow lake of Russell Glacier
Lake Aajuitsup Tasia with Russell Glacier

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Vandrekort Vestgrønland: Kangerlussuaq (Map) (1996 ed.). Cartography by Compukort, Denmark. Greenland Tourism a/s.
^ "Klaus Peter Brodersen, Ole Pedersen, Claus Lindegaard, and Kirsten Hamburger (University of Copenhagen) − 'Chironomids (Diptera) and oxy-regulatory capacity: An experimental approach to paleolimnological interpretation' − Limnol. Oceanogr., 49(5), 2004, 1549–1559" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2009-02-02.

External links[edit]

Underwater photography in the lake at Tropica Aquarium Plants

[map-1] Vandrekort Vestgrønland: Kangerlussuaq (Map) (1996 ed.). Cartography by Compukort, Denmark. Greenland Tourism a/s.

[2] "Klaus Peter Brodersen, Ole Pedersen, Claus Lindegaard, and Kirsten Hamburger (University of Copenhagen) − 'Chironomids (Diptera) and oxy-regulatory capacity: An experimental approach to paleolimnological interpretation' − Limnol. Oceanogr., 49(5), 2004, 1549–1559" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2009-02-02.

[1]

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