Tasersuaq

Tasersuaq (old spelling: Taserssuaq) is a large lake in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The name of the lake means large lake in the Greenlandic language, and is a common name shared by several lakes in the country.

Tasersuaq
Aerial view of the eastern end of the lake
Location	Greenland
Coordinates	67°00′04″N 51°50′00″W
Basin countries	Greenland
Max. length	35 km (22 mi)
Surface elevation	10 m (33 ft)[1]

Geography

Pingu in summer

Tasersuaq

Location within Greenland

Tasersuaq is a latitudinal lake of elongated sausage shape, extending from approximately 66°59′50″N 52°15′00″W in the west to 67°00′15″N 51°27′45″W in the east, located halfway between Sisimiut in the west and Kangerlussuaq in the east, approximately 63 km (39 mi) east of the former, and 69 km (43 mi) west of the latter. In the northwest the lake is bounded by tall mountains of the Pingu mountain group.[1] The range flattens considerably towards the east in the area of Kangaamiut dike swarm north of Kangerlussuaq, due to pressure exerted by the Greenland ice sheet (Greenlandic: Sermersuaq) for long periods in the past. The eastern end of the lake is located just west of the Tarajornitsut highland.[1]

Polar route

The tough, 160 km (99 mi) long Arctic Circle Race takes place each winter, with the trail partially overlapping with the Polar Route from Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq.[2] The race was inaugurated in 1998, since then becoming an international competition.[3] The Polar Route passes near the southwestern shore of Tasersuaq, in the Kangerluatsiarsuaq bay of the lake, where a hut erected by the Sisimiut tourist office stands at the shore.[1] The route then heads to the southeast, towards Amitsorsuaq lake, and further east to Tarajornitsut,[4] ending in Umiarsualivik on the shores of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) west-south-west of Kangerlussuaq.[5]

References

1. Vandrekort Vestgrønland: Pingu (Map) (1996 ed.). Cartography by Compukort, Denmark. Greenland Tourism a/s.
2. "Race setup". Arctic Circle Race. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
3. "Arctic Circle Race". The Official Tourism and Business Site of Greenland. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
4. Vandrekort Vestgrønland: Kangerlussuaq (Map) (1996 ed.). Cartography by Compukort, Denmark. Greenland Tourism a/s.
5. O'Carroll, Etain (2005). Greenland and the Arctic. Lonely Planet. pp. 163–4, 332. ISBN 1-74059-095-3.

Panorama

Panorama of Tasersuaq lake from 9 August 2010