Ungava Bay


Ungava Bay is a bay in Nunavut, Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. Although not geographically apparent, it is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. The bay is roughly oval-shaped, about at its widest point and about in length; it has an area of approximately. It is generally fairly shallow, under, though at its border with the Atlantic Ocean depths of almost are reached.

Geography

Although it is quite close to the open Atlantic, Ungava Bay is part of the Arctic Ocean. Ungava Bay is separated from Hudson Bay by the Ungava Peninsula. Of the many islands in Ungava Bay, Akpatok Island is largest. Bathymetric studies suggest that Ungava Bay may be the remnant of an impact crater approximately in diameter.
Ungava Bay is an example of a hypertidal coastal system and the southwestern corner of the bay vies with the Bay of Fundy for the highest tidal range in the world. A 16.2m range was recorded in March 2002 at the mouth of the Leaf River on the southwestern margin of the bay and it is predicted that the extreme spring tide range may be , just 20cm short of that predicted for Burntcoat Head, Bay of Fundy. Attempts have been made to study the potential for producing electricity using tidal power in the bay, but this is made difficult by the harsh climate and the fact that the bay is ice-free for only a small part of the year.

Climate

Due to the influence of the Labrador Current, summers are too cold for tree growth and all the land surrounding the bay is treeless tundra. Typically, temperatures in summer at Kuujjuaq about up the Koksoak River are about, while winter temperatures are about. Precipitation averages around per year, most of it falling in the summer.

Human development

Ungava Bay is surrounded by numerous Inuit villages, the largest of which is Kuujjuaq, at the mouth of the Koksoak River. Iron ore has been mined in the past, but despite the high grade of the ores the impossibility of cheap transportation meant that mining was discontinued in 1980. Traditional Inuit hunting activities still dominate the region's life, along with adventure tourism.