Tunulliarfik Fjord (old spelling: ''Tunugdliarfik''; ) is a

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

near

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq (), also known as Julianehåb, is the capital city of the Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town in sout ...

in the

Kujalleq Kujalleq (Greenlandic language, Greenlandic: , ) is a municipality on the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq (formerly called Julianehåb). Creation The munic ...

municipality in southern

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

. It is the inner section of Skovfjord (Skovfjorden). In times of the Norse settlement in southern Greenland, it was known as ''Eiriksfjord''.

Geography

The fjord head at approximately is formed by the estuary of a river flowing from the glacial outflow lake in Johan Dahl Land. At approximately , south of the

Narsarsuaq Narsarsuaq (lit. ''Great Plain'';''Facts and History of Narsarsuaq'', Narsarsuad Tourist Information old spelling: ''Narssarssuaq'') is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 123 inhabitants in 2020. There is a thr ...

settlement, the fjord is joined by its tributary Qooroq Fjord from the northeast, changing direction from southern into southwestern. Bounded by long peninsulas and low-lying islands from the southeast and the northwest, it has its mouth in the Skovfjord which empties in

Labrador Sea The Labrador Sea (; ) is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffi ...

at approximately .Ivittuut/Narsarsuaq/Qaqortoq, Saga Map, Tage Schjøtt, 1992 The Narsaq Sound, between the peninsula forming the northern shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord and Tuttutooq and Illutaliq islands, connects with neighbouring Bredefjord and Nordre Sermilik to the north.

Settlement

There are several small settlements near the shores of the long Tunulliarfik Fjord. Narsarsuaq and

Qassiarsuk Qassiarsuk ( Danish: ''Bratalid'' from Old Norse ''Brattahlíð'') is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality, in southern Greenland. Its population was 39 in 2020. Qassiarsuk is part of the Kujataa World Heritage Site, due to its historical ...

are located on the opposite sides of the fjord near its head. Further south, the settlement of Igaliku occupies the

isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...

of a peninsula bounding the fjord from the south. At the far end of Narsaq Peninsula bounding the upper reaches of the fjord from the north the town of

Narsaq Narsaq ( Danish: ''Nordprøven'') is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name ''Narsaq'' is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located. History People have liv ...

occupies a wide lowland with arable ground. There are no settlements in the lower reaches of the fjord.

Transport

Narsaq is a port of call for the

Arctic Umiaq Line Arctic Umiaq Line A/S (AUL) or Arctic Umiaq is a passenger and freight shipping line in Greenland. Its name derives from the Kalaallisut word for the traditional Inuit passenger boat, the umiak, distinguished from the kayak, used for hunting. Th ...

coastal ship in the summer season.Arctic Umiaq Line, Timetable 2009
/ref> The southbound ferry route backtracks from

until the mouth of Tunulliarfik, to then sail northeast alongside the lower part of the fjord, anchoring at Narsaq port before turning around the same day. Narsaq Heliport and the international

Narsarsuaq Airport Narsarsuaq Airport () is an airport located in Narsarsuaq, a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Along with Nuuk Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, it is one of three civilian airports in Greenland capable of serving ...

operate year-round, with

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...

connections to

Nuuk Nuuk (; , formerly ) is the capital and most populous city of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic center. It is also the seat of gove ...

Kangerlussuaq Kangerlussuaq (; ; ) is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipalities of Greenland, municipality located at the head of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, fjord of the same name. It was Greenland's main air transport hub and the site of G ...

, and

Paamiut Paamiut, also known as Frederikshåb, is a town in southwestern Greenland in the Sermersooq municipalities of Greenland, municipality. Geography Paamiut is located on the coast of Labrador Sea in the southern end of a small estuary called Ku ...

, and helicopter connections to

Alluitsup Paa Alluitsup Paa (old spelling prior to the orthography reform in 1973: ''Agdluitsup pâ'') is a village in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Alluitsup Paa had 202 residents in 2020. Presently, the community's religious activities ...

Nanortalik Nanortalik (, ), formerly Nennortalik, is a town in Nanortalik Island, Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality, southern Greenland. With 1,072 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the List of cities and towns in Greenland, eleventh-largest ...

, and Qaqortoq.Air Greenland, Departures and Arrivals
Igaliku and Qassiarsuk can be reached by boat.

References

{{Authority control Fjords of Greenland

Geography

Settlement

Transport

See also

References