DAY 9: Qeqertaussaq Island & H.S.

We take two boats today and head back to Kangerluarsuk fjord. Our two newcomers want to collect on the beach at the head of the fjord we've told them about, and I want to see famous Qeqertaussaq island.

Qeqertaussaq has been visited by geologists since the 19^th century, including K. J. V. Steenstrup, who made a small cave on its south coast by removing large eudialyte samples in 1888.

In the afternoon Peter is to head back to Narsaq and meet up with Henning Sørensen, noted Danish professor and a principal researcher of the Ilímaussaq complex for over 40 years. I’ll tag along.

The morning is gray, the air startlingly still. As our boats glide up Kangerluarsuk fjord the water looks like glass beneath us.

Over near Kringlerne, on our right, we spot a good-sized boat painted bright red resting on the calm water, still, and wonder why it's there. Perhaps they wonder the same of us?

On reaching the shore at the head of Kangerluarsuk fjord, Mark and Finn’s wife jump out, and Peter and I motor over to Qeqertaussaq, five minutes away. The other boat, with John and Kathy, has already arrived there, and they are collecting loose samples from the ground when we arrive. The island is very small—only a few hundred meters across. We limit collecting on the island to mostly loose as it can easily be impacted by over collecting. Several veins and features are nicely exposed and make excellent showplaces.

I explore the small cave on the south shore, find some large books of yellow-white fluorescing polylithionite in its roof, and take some photographs. The cave is dug from rock comprised largely of maroon red eudialyte.

The red swath of eudialyte, studded with black elongated prisms of arfvedsonite, continues along shore of the tiny island near water’s edge. The views this morning are surreal.

Soon, I get back in Peter’s boat and we return to Narsaq. We meet Professor Sørensen at the Hotel Narsaq, a short drive from the pier. (The hotel’s dining room, maids and room service stood in stark contrast to our life at the Rock Hut. I’m not sure their cleaning staff would have welcomed us.) We exchange pleasantries and leave together for Peter’s boat. Prof. Sørensen wants to inspect and photograph some sections of rock along the north shore of Tunulliarfik.

He's very kind, patiently explaining some basic aspects of the rock we see along the way, and remarking that although retired he still enjoys visiting Ilímaussaq very much. We pull in close along a point, Illunnguaq, that lies just beyond Tugtup agtakôrfia, and he points out some nodular textures in the sea bluffs. These may be interpreted as resulting from immiscible igneous liquids, he explains, and takes some photographs of the peculiar texture.

Just west of Tugtup agtakôrfia, on the north coast of Tunulliarfik fjord, is a small river that cascades down from the steep cliffs above. Lush grass grows near where it spills into the fjord, and at shoreline, a flat beach area. Professor Sørensen comments that when he first came to Ilímaussaq, decades earlier, he pitched camp and lived here for many weeks.

We attempt to alight at Tugtup agtakôrfia as well, but the tide and rocky shore conspire against us today. Instead, we inspect it from Peter’s boat close to shore. Professor Sørensen points to the white rock we’d been working and remarks that this was the location of his initial discovery of tugtupite.

After our outing we return to Peter Lindberg's home, and show the professor brochures and samples of Peter's tugtupite jewelry, as well as some samples we've recently collected.

It's been a pleasure to spend a little time with this famous researcher. Once again, a remarkable day set in a remarkable place.

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