Prince Patrick Island


click to enlarge

Prince Patrick Island is 9440 km2 and lies along the westernmost fringe of the Arctic Archipelago. The island is surrounded by ice year-round, making it one of the least accessible of the Arctic Islands. The four promontories along its southeastern coast, from Jameson Bay to Dyer Bay, are all rugged highlands that rise to a maximum elevation of 150 m. West of Intrepid Inlet, the topography is folded into ridges that run north-south. East of the inlet, the terrain is less rugged and only cut with river valleys. The Hardinge Mountains form the edge of the highlands and run north of Walker Inlet. In its northern region, Prince Patrick Island slopes gradually downwards to lowlands at the coast, which are intersected by numerous braided rivers and peppered with small ponds.

Eglinton, Emerald, Fitzwilliam Owen, and Eight Bears islands all lie within the vicinity of Prince Patrick Island. Eglinton Island is the largest and lies to the south. Its southern and central sections have 150-m high flat-topped hills that are cut with river valleys. The northern end is low-lying and less rugged. Emerald Island was given its name by Leopold M'Clintock because it had high levels of vegetation. He also offered the disclaimer: "…in these regions, where anything green is a rarity, the term has only a comparative meaning". The island is dome-shaped, rising to 150 m at its centre. Fitzwilliam Owen and Eight Bears islands lie north of Emerald Island and are covered in gently rolling hills that rise 30-metres from the sea.