Attu, Greenland
Attu | |
|---|---|
  Attu Location within Greenland | |
| Coordinates: 67°56′26″N 53°37′22″W / 67.94056°N 53.62278°W | |
| State |  Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Qeqertalik |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 203 |
| Time zone | UTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time) |
| Postal code | 3955 Kangaatsiaq |
Attu is a settlement in the Qeqertalik municipality in western Greenland, located on a small island on the shores of Davis Strait. Its population was 203 in 2020.[1] It is the southernmost settlement in the municipality.
Transport
[edit]Air Greenland serves the village as part of government contract, with winter-only helicopter flights from Attu Heliport to Aasiaat Airport and Kangaatsiaq Heliport.[2] Settlement flights in the Disko Bay are unique in that they are operated only during winter and spring.
During summer and autumn, when the waters of Disko Bay are navigable, communication between settlements is by sea only, serviced by Diskoline.[3] The ferry links Attu with Kangaatsiaq, and further with Iginniarfik, Ikerasaarsuk, Niaqornaarsuk, and Aasiaat.
Climate
[edit]Attu experiences a tundra climate (Köppen: ET); with short, cool summers and long, frigid winters.[4] The settlement is frequently subject to rough weather accompanying lows passing through the Davis Strait; characterised by strong northerly or southerly winds that often reach gale force strength. Moreover, due to its insular position on Kitsissut Island, Attu experiences high relative humidity, vast seasonal lag and low diurnal temperature variation year-round.[5]
| Climate data for Attu (67°47′N 53°58′W / 67.78°N 53.97°W) (10 m (33 ft) AMSL) (1991-2020 data) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
7.2 (45.0) |
6.1 (43.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
7.8 (46.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9.1 (15.6) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
6.2 (43.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.1 (12.0) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
1.8 (35.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −27.8 (−18.0) |
−33.1 (−27.6) |
−36.5 (−33.7) |
−22.3 (−8.1) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−17.9 (−0.2) |
−22.6 (−8.7) |
−36.5 (−33.7) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 80.3 | 81.9 | 81.4 | 81.8 | 85.3 | 92.3 | 92.7 | 91.5 | 83.0 | 77.9 | 76.8 | 78.4 | 83.6 |
| Source: Danish Meteorological Institute (1991-2020 data)[6] | |||||||||||||
Population
[edit]Attu has experienced a sharp decline in population over a long period of time.[7] The settlement lost nearly 36% of its population relative to the 1990 levels, and more than a quarter relative to the 2000 levels, with the population still decreasing.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ Air Greenland, Departures and Arrivals Archived March 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Diskoline timetable Archived May 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Beck, Hylke E; McVicar, Tim R; Vergopolan, Noemi; et al. (23 October 2023). "High-resolution (1 km) Köppen-Geiger maps for 1901–2099 based on constrained CMIP6 projections". Nature. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ Cappelen, J; Jørgensen, Bent Vraae (2000). Buus-Hinkler, J; Rasmussen, T; Scharling, M (eds.). "Klimaobservationer i Grønland, 1958-99 - med klimanormaler 1961-90" (PDF) (in Danish). Danish Meteorological Institute - Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ Cappelen, J; Drost Jensen, C; Laursen, Ellen Vaarby; Stannius, Lotte Sligting; Thomsen, Rikke Sjølin (20 December 2021). Hansen, Ane; Rasmussen, Leif; Scharling, Mikael (eds.). "Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 – Greenland" (PDF). Danish Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Statistics Greenland Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
