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25-398: The Greenland ice sheet cools the air directly above it. Colder air is denser, and it sinks, forming a separate layer of cold air in between warmer air. A piteraq is triggered by low pressure systems off the east coast of Greenland. Piteraqs affect not only coastal towns, but also large areas of the sea to the east of Greenland. On February 6, 1970, at about 6:00 PM, the community of Tasiilaq

50-467: A two-week period until September 17 following a surge of violence & suicide in the town. Following this prohibition, reports of domestic violence had greatly decreased. Social workers from the town said that "it is only a short term solution, but necessary to put the breaks on alcohol-fueled incidents." Tasiilaq is located approximately 106 km (66 mi) south of the Arctic Circle , on

75-415: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This wind –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tasiilaq Tasiilaq , formerly Ammassalik or Angmagssalik and King Oscar Haven , is a town on Ammassalik Island in southeastern Greenland , within the municipality of Sermersooq . With 1,985 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the most populous community on

100-401: Is a 3 km (1.9 mi) narrow gravel road to the hydro power plant. Transport to further places is by helicopter or boat. Air Greenland operates helicopter services from Tasiilaq Heliport to neighboring Kulusuk Airport (24 km (15 mi) away), which offers connections to Nuuk , and to Iceland . The heliport serves as a local helicopter hub with flights to several villages in

125-613: Is a combination of several factors: The temperature on the Greenland ice sheet, the conditions in the fjords and the current atmospheric conditions. When a low-pressure system is approaching the coast of Greenland it generally has strong winds that can "suck" in air off the Greenland ice sheet, causing a Piteraq. One thing that should be mentioned in regard to the Piteraq is the frequency of more severe events versus more mild events. On average there are between one and three severe Piteraqs in

150-512: Is affected by piteraqs . On 6 February 1970 the worst piteraq ever documented hit Tasiilaq, causing heavy damage and nearly ruining the town. Tasiilaq is twinned with: Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles , and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle . The Arctic Circle marks

175-633: Is often no direct view of the true horizon. The largest communities north of the Arctic Circle are situated in Russia, Norway, and Sweden: Murmansk (population 295,374) and Norilsk (178,018) in Russia; Tromsø (75,638) in Norway, Vorkuta (58,133) in Russia, Bodø (52,357) and Harstad (24,703) in Norway; and Kiruna , Sweden (22,841). Rovaniemi (62,667) in Finland is the largest settlement in

200-639: Is the largest settlement north of the Arctic Circle with about 5,000 inhabitants. The largest such community in Canada is Inuvik in the Northwest Territories , with 3,137 inhabitants. Download coordinates as: The Arctic Circle is roughly 16,000 km (9,900 mi) in circumference. The area north of the Circle is about 20,000,000 km (7,700,000 sq mi) and covers roughly 4% of Earth's surface. The Arctic Circle passes through

225-608: The Arctic Ocean , the Scandinavian Peninsula , North Asia , Northern America , and Greenland. The land within the Arctic Circle is divided among eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States ( Alaska ), Canada ( Yukon , Northwest Territories , and Nunavut ), Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey ). The climate north of

250-624: The orbit of the Moon . Consequently, the Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 14.5 m (48 ft) per year. The word arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός ( arktikos : "near the Bear , northern") and that from the word ἄρκτος ( arktos : " bear "). The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the centre of

275-526: The Arctic Circle is generally cold, but the coastal areas of Norway have a generally mild climate as a result of the Gulf Stream , which makes the ports of northern Norway and northwest Russia ice-free all year long. In the interior, summers can be quite warm, while winters are extremely cold. For example, summer temperatures in Norilsk , Russia will sometimes reach as high as 30 °C (86 °F), while

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300-637: The Russian port city of Murmansk , three degrees above the Arctic Circle, the Sun does not rise above the horizon for 40 successive days in midwinter. The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed and currently runs 66°33′50.2″ north of the Equator . Its latitude depends on the Earth's axial tilt , which fluctuates within a margin of more than 2° over a 41,000-year period, owing to tidal forces resulting from

325-547: The Sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Arctic Circle the centre of the Sun is visible at local midnight , and at least once the centre is not visible at local noon . Directly on the Arctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the June and December solstices , respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages , and also because

350-484: The Tasiilaq region per year and usually dozens of weaker events. Due to the fact that Piteraqs occur in such an isolated and sparsely populated area, scientists do not know much about how they function. However, this is starting to change as more and more researchers are heading to Greenland to understand these winds. As of 2023 there are several ongoing studies on Piteraqs, but the data has not yet been made available to

375-421: The area as the first landmark on the voyage between Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula and Greenland. Thule migrations passed through the area in the fifteenth century, finding the southeastern coast uninhabited. Due to back migrations to the more densely populated western coast, the southeastern coast was deserted for another two hundred years – the region wasn't settled until late eighteenth century, with

400-479: The eastern coast, and the seventh-largest town in Greenland. The Sermilik Station , dedicated to the research of the nearby Mittivakkat Glacier , is located near the town. The people of Saqqaq culture were the first to reach eastern Greenland, arriving from the north, through what is now known as Peary Land and Independence Fjord , to be surpassed by the Dorset culture . The Norse would have been familiar with

425-404: The immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle, lying 6 km (4 mi) south of the line. Salekhard (51,186) in Russia is the only city in the world located directly on the Arctic Circle. In contrast, the largest North American community north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut ( Greenland ), has approximately 5,600 inhabitants. In the United States, Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow)

450-479: The public. The most notable and easily the most powerful Piteraq to strike Tasiilaq occurred on February 6, 1970, when the wind speeds were estimated at 325 km/h. Another notable piteraq happened on September 26, 2022, but was much less powerful and long lasting, with sustained winds up to 160 km/h and gusts up to 210 km/h. This storm was said to cause some damage to the town such as broken windows and removed shingles and siding. This Greenland -related article

475-503: The region: Isortoq , Kuummiit , Sermiligaaq , and Tiniteqilaaq . In the summer, the cargo boats of Royal Arctic Line connect Tasiilaq with Kulusuk , providing an ad hoc alternative for the helicopter flights of Air Greenland. In summer main activities involve: ice cave tours, ice climbing , glacier hikes, boat trips, whale watching and kayaking. Tasiilaq has a tundra climate ( ET ), with long, cold and snowy winters and short, cool drier summers. From time to time, Tasiilaq

500-584: The southeastern coast of Ammassalik Island , on the shore of a natural harbour in Tasiilaq Fjord , named Kong Oscars Havn by Alfred Gabriel Nathorst in 1883. The fjord is an inlet of the long Ammassalik Fjord emptying into the North Atlantic to the east of the town. The large Sermilik Fjord lies further to the west. With 1,985 inhabitants as of 2020, Tasiilaq is one of the fastest-growing towns in Greenland. The migrants are continuing

525-573: The southernmost latitude at which, on the winter solstice (which is the shortest day of the year) in the Northern Hemisphere , the Sun will not rise all day, and on the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice (which is the longest day of the year), the Sun will not set. These phenomena are referred to as polar night and midnight sun respectively, and the further north one progresses, the more pronounced these effects become. For example, in

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550-480: The sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun is visible, on the night of the northern summer solstice , at a latitude of about 50 minutes of arc (′) (90 km (56 mi)) south of the Arctic Circle. Similarly, on the day of the northern winter solstice , part of the Sun may be seen up to about 50′ north of the Arctic Circle. That is true at sea level ; those limits increase with elevation above sea level , although in mountainous regions there

575-460: The trend for population growth. Together with Nuuk , it is the only town in the Sermersooq municipality exhibiting stable growth patterns over the last two decades. The population increased by over 37% relative to the 1990 levels, and by over 18% relative to the 2000 levels. Tasiilaq is the main location where East Greenlandic is spoken. There are no roads far outside Tasiilaq. The longest

600-480: The village surviving as the only permanent settlement in the nineteenth century. Population increased however from the 1880s, dispersing over several villages in the area. The permanent settlement was founded in 1894 as a Danish trading station. The town was previously known as Ammassalik (old spelling: Angmagssalik ). The official name change took place in 1997. Alcohol consumption was banned by Greenland's self rule authority in Tasiilaq on September 7, 2021, over

625-492: Was hit by the worst documented piteraq ever in Greenland (estimated at 90 m/s — about 325 km/h or 200 mph) (Stronger than a category five Atlantic hurricane) causing severe damage. Since the beginning of 1970, special piteraq warnings have been issued by the Danish Meteorological Institute . Although piteraqs can be caused by low pressure systems of the east coast of Greenland, their formation

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