Lake Hazen is often called the northernmost lake of Canada, in the northern part of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, but detailed maps show several smaller lakes up to more than 100 km (62 mi) farther north on Canada's northernmost island. Turnabout Lake is immediately northeast of the northern end of Hazen lake. Still further north are the Upper and Lower Dumbell Lakes, with Upper Dumbell Lake 5.2 km (3 mi) southwest of Alert, Canada's northernmost settlement on the coast of Lincoln Sea, Arctic Ocean.
The northeastern end of Lake Hazen is 118 km (73 mi) southwest of Alert. Lake Hazen is the world's largest lake north of the Arctic Circle by volume. By surface area, it is third largest, after Lake Taymyr in Russia and Lake Inari in Finland. Lake Hazen is 70 km (43 mi) long and up to 11 km (7 mi) wide, with an area of 542 km2 (209 sq mi). It stretches in a southwest-northeast direction from 81°40′N 72°58′W / 81.667°N 72.967°W / 81.667; -72.967 (Lake Hazen (southwest)) to 81°56′N 68°55′W / 81.933°N 68.917°W / 81.933; -68.917 (Lake Hazen (northeast)). The lake is up to 267 m (876 ft) deep and has an estimated volume of 51,400 km3. The shoreline is 185 km (115 mi) long and 158 m (518 ft) above sea level. It has several islands, the largest of them being Johns Island, which is 7 km (4.3 mi) long and less than 1 km (0.62 mi) wide, also extending in a southwest-northeast direction like the lake itself. Other islands include Gatter Island, Clay Island (both close to the northeastern shore), Whisler Island, and Dyas Island (both close to the southern shore). The lake is covered by ice about ten months a year. It is fed by glaciers from the surrounding Eureka Uplands (Palaeozoic rocks north of the lake, rising up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level), most importantly Henrietta Nesmith and the Gilmour Glaciers, and drained by 15 km (9.3 mi) long Ruggles River which flows into Chandler Fjord on the northern east coast of Ellesmere Land. The lake is flanked by the Arctic Cordillera.
The area around the lake is a thermal oasis within a polar desert, with summer temperatures up to 23 °C (73 °F).
The lake is part of Quttinirpaaq National Park.
Artifacts of Thule civilization were discovered near Lake Hazen in 2004. Thule preceded the Inuit. In 1882, Augustus Greely discovered the lake during his expedition 1881-1883. Greely's base camp for the exploration was Fort Conger at the northeastern shore of Ellesmere Island, at 81°44′N 64°44′W / 81.733°N 64.733°W / 81.733; -64.733 (Greely's base camp (Lake Hazen)), which was established as part of the first International Polar Year. Hazen Camp was established on the northern shore of the lake in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year (IGY), and has been used by various scientific parties since then.
Lake Hazen is populated by a larger and a smaller morphotype of Arctic char. Recent studies indicate they are not anadromous, though Inuit traditional knowledge states otherwise.
Read more about Lake Hazen: Named Inflows, Tourism
Famous quotes containing the word lake:
“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature. The fluviatile trees next the shore are the slender eyelashes which fringe it, and the wooded hills and cliffs around are its overhanging brows.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)