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Native name: Péninsule d'Ungava ᐅᖓᕙ | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Ungava Peninsula | |
  Ungava Peninsula | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Nunavik,Quebec |
| Coordinates | 60°24′19″N73°57′34″W / 60.40528°N 73.95944°W /60.40528; -73.95944[1] |
| Adjacent to | Arctic Ocean |
| Area | 252,000 km2 (97,000 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 12,000 |
| Ethnic groups | Inuit |
TheUngava Peninsula (/ʊŋˈɡeɪvə,-ˈɡɑː-/[2]), officiallyPéninsule d'Ungava[1] (French pronunciation:[penɛ̃sylduŋɡava]), is the far northwestern part of theLabrador Peninsula of the province ofQuebec, Canada. Bounded byHudson Bay to the west,Hudson Strait to the north, andUngava Bay to the east, it covers about 252,000 km2 (97,000 sq mi). Its northernmost point isCape Wolstenholme, which is also the northernmost point of Quebec and any province of Canada. The peninsula is also part of theCanadian Shield, and consists entirely of treelesstundra dissected by large numbers of rivers and glacial lakes, flowing generally east–west in a parallel fashion. The peninsula was not deglaciated until 6,500 years ago (11,500 years after theLast Glacial Maximum) and is believed to have been the prehistoric centre from which the vastLaurentide Ice Sheet spread over most of North America during the last glacial epoch.
The Unavuk Peninsula is part of theNunavik proposed autonomous area of Quebec.
The Ungava Peninsula has an estimated population of 10,000 inhabitants. These are 90%Inuit, and live in 12 villages spread along the coast. The largest village,Kuujjuaq, is the capital of theKativik Regional Government, which includes all of the peninsula. The peninsula's offshore islands are part of theNunavut Territory. The region is accessible by air services, with links to southern Québec, and seasonal shipping when sea-ice breaks up. Thickpermafrost prevents the use of conventional building techniques in some areas.[citation needed]
The Ungava Peninsula is situated on the northeast portion of theCanadian Shield where the Rae Province connects with the Superior Province. The region is composed of Archean rocks (ca. 2.7–2.9 Ga) from the Douglas Harbour Domain (seeSuperior Craton). The Archean rocks are overlain byPaleoproterozoic supracrustalsequences (ca. 1.8–2.1 Ga) andintruded by Paleoproterozoicdiabasedykes (ca. 2.0–2.2 Ga). Thesupracrustal rocks comprisenappes that form part of the Ungava andLabradortroughs. In the zone east of the Labrador Trough axis, the Paleoproterozoic deformation reworked the Archean rocks of the Douglas Harbour Domain, as well as the Paleoproterozoic diabase dykes. The metamorphic conditions which parallel the deformation increase from west to east and from middleamphibolite togranulitefacies.U–Pbisotope analyses ofzircon yield secondary ages around 1790 Ma. These results are interpreted as the age ofmetamorphism and indicate a reactivation of the northeastern margin of theSuperior Province during a Paleoproterozoictectono-metamorphic event, resulting from probable continental collision. (Madore, 2001).[citation needed]Pingualuit impact crater is located on the peninsula.[3][4]
TheUngava brown bear, an extinctpopulation of thegrizzly bear, is named after this peninsula.[5][6]
The climate is extremely cold (Dfc in theKöppen climate classification) because theLabrador Current keeps the region (and all ofnorthern Québec) colder in the summer than other regions at comparable latitudes:[7]
| Climate data for Kuujjuaq (Kuujjuaq Airport) WMO ID: 71906; coordinates58°06′N68°25′W / 58.100°N 68.417°W /58.100; -68.417 (Kuujjuaq Airport); elevation: 39.9 m (131 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1947–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 5.0 | 6.3 | 11.7 | 17.9 | 27.5 | 38.9 | 37.9 | 33.2 | 32.2 | 20.4 | 10.3 | 5.8 | 38.9 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 12.1 (53.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.1 (91.6) | 34.3 (93.7) | 30.7 (87.3) | 28.3 (82.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 8.3 (46.9) | 34.3 (93.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −18.9 (−2.0) | −18.1 (−0.6) | −11.3 (11.7) | −3.2 (26.2) | 5.7 (42.3) | 13.2 (55.8) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.8 (62.2) | 10.6 (51.1) | 3.8 (38.8) | −3.9 (25.0) | −12.2 (10.0) | 0.1 (32.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −23.3 (−9.9) | −23.1 (−9.6) | −16.9 (1.6) | −8.4 (16.9) | 1.2 (34.2) | 7.8 (46.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.8 (53.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | −7.2 (19.0) | −16.2 (2.8) | −4.5 (23.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −27.7 (−17.9) | −28.0 (−18.4) | −22.5 (−8.5) | −13.4 (7.9) | −3.3 (26.1) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 2.8 (37.0) | −2.1 (28.2) | −10.5 (13.1) | −20.2 (−4.4) | −9.1 (15.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −49.8 (−57.6) | −43.9 (−47.0) | −43.9 (−47.0) | −34.1 (−29.4) | −24.7 (−12.5) | −8.3 (17.1) | −1.6 (29.1) | −1.7 (28.9) | −7.8 (18.0) | −20.0 (−4.0) | −31.1 (−24.0) | −43.9 (−47.0) | −49.8 (−57.6) |
| Record lowwind chill | −60.4 | −58.0 | −55.3 | −45.6 | −30.6 | −13.2 | −5.7 | −6.5 | −11.9 | −32.9 | −42.8 | −56.3 | −60.4 |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 30.7 (1.21) | 29.3 (1.15) | 31.6 (1.24) | 27.4 (1.08) | 31.5 (1.24) | 51.1 (2.01) | 75.2 (2.96) | 75.9 (2.99) | 87.8 (3.46) | 57.0 (2.24) | 43.8 (1.72) | 36.9 (1.45) | 578.2 (22.76) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.01) | 0.2 (0.01) | 3.6 (0.14) | 13.5 (0.53) | 47.8 (1.88) | 75.3 (2.96) | 75.8 (2.98) | 84.9 (3.34) | 34.8 (1.37) | 5.1 (0.20) | 1.8 (0.07) | 343.2 (13.51) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 30.6 (12.0) | 29.2 (11.5) | 31.6 (12.4) | 23.3 (9.2) | 18.3 (7.2) | 4.3 (1.7) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.9 (1.1) | 21.3 (8.4) | 38.9 (15.3) | 35.1 (13.8) | 235.4 (92.7) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 15.7 | 12.9 | 14.8 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 13.3 | 15.6 | 18.3 | 19.9 | 18.3 | 17.6 | 15.5 | 186.1 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.42 | 1.8 | 6.5 | 12.5 | 15.3 | 18.3 | 19.2 | 10.6 | 2.6 | 0.92 | 88.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.6 | 12.9 | 14.7 | 10.9 | 8.2 | 2.5 | 0.04 | 0.08 | 1.9 | 11.1 | 16.9 | 19.2 | 109.8 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 1500LST) | 66.2 | 61.3 | 61.9 | 65.1 | 62.8 | 58.9 | 59.3 | 63.6 | 68.0 | 73.5 | 77.7 | 73.4 | 66.0 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | −24.9 (−12.8) | −23.6 (−10.5) | −18.3 (−0.9) | −9.8 (14.4) | −2.1 (28.2) | 2.7 (36.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.0 (44.6) | 2.4 (36.3) | −2.5 (27.5) | −9.2 (15.4) | −20.1 (−4.2) | −7.6 (18.3) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 62.7 | 108.3 | 163.8 | 197.2 | 137.8 | 180.1 | 197.2 | 166.6 | 99.1 | 48.8 | 51.7 | 53.5 | 1,467.2 |
| Source:Environment and Climate Change Canada[8] (sun 1951–1980)[9] (dew point at 1300LST 1951–1980)[10] (July maximum)[11] | |||||||||||||
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