Tasiusaq Bay (old spelling: Tasiussaq) is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentation of northeastern Baffin Bay. The name of the bay derives from the name of the settlement of the same name in the bay.
Geography
The bay is located in the north-central part of Upernavik Archipelago, between Sugar Loaf Bay in the north, and Upernavik Icefjord in the south. At its widest − from the Cape Shackleton promontory on Apparsuit Island in the north at , to the mouth of Upernavik Icefjord in the south − Tasiusaq Bay stretches for approximately .
Islands
There is a large number of islands and skerries in the bay, scattered over the entire area. They can be divides into several groups:
Northern band
The northernmost group of islands lies between the Nasaussap Saqqaa fjord emptying into Sugar Loaf Bay in the north, and the Kangerlussuaq Icefjord in the south. The major islands, listed from north to south, are:
Qullikorsuit Island
Apparsuit Island
Paornivik Island
Mernoq Island
Central band
The central group of islands lies between the Kangerlussuaq Icefjord in the north, and the mouth of Upernavik Icefjord in the south. The major islands, listed from north to south, are:
Tuttorqortooq Island
Horse Head Island
Qallunaat Island
Mattaangassut Island
Nutaarmiut Island
Saattorsuaq Island
Nuuluk Island
Anarusuk Island
Aappilattoq Island
Uigorlersuaq Island
Tasiusaq Island
Aukarnersuaq Island
Paagussat Island
Qaqaarissorsuaq Island
Illunnguit Island
Kangaarsuk Island
Ateqanngitsorsuaq Island
Qaarsorsuatsiaq Island
Innaarsuit Island
Naajaat Island
Upernavik Icefjord islands
The southern group of islands bounds the Upernavik Icefjord from the north. The major islands, listed from east to west, are:
Maniitsoq
Puugutaa
Qaneq
Sisuarissut
Tussaaq
Glaciers and nunataks
The coastline of mainland Greenland in the region is a series of alternating nunataks and glaciers draining the Greenland ice sheet (). the major features, from north to south, are:
Giesecke Glacier with its two tongues: Qeqertarsuup Sermia and Kakiffait Sermiat
Nunatarsuaq nunatak
Alanngorsuup Sermia glacier
Qassersuaq Peninsula
Upernavik Glacier
Waterways
The major waterways of Tasiusaq Bay are the Nasaussap Saqqaa fjord in the north, Kangerlussuaq Icefjord, and Upernavik Icefjord in the south.
Settlement
The mainland is uninhabited, and only some of the islands are settled. Tasiusaq is the largest settlement in the bay. Other settlements are Nutaarmiut, Innaarsuit, and Naajaat. The former settlement of Tussaaq has one inhabitant left.