Cape Airy is located at the island's southwestern extremity.[3] Also on the southwestern coast, Griffith Island lies directly across from the island's only hamlet, Resolute (Qausuittuq), separated by the 10.5 km (6.5 mi) wide Resolute Passage.[4]
Resolute is Canada's second most northerly public community, after Grise Fiord, and has a population of 183 in 2021.[2]Resolute Bay Airport acts as a transportation hub for the central islands of the high Arctic of Nunavut.
Climate
The island has a polar arctic climate (ET) with long cold winters and short cool summers. Resolute, which lies on the south coast of the island, has an annual average temperature of −15.7 °C (3.7 °F), with an average high for the year of −12.7 °C (9.1 °F) and the average low for the year is −18.6 °C (−1.5 °F).[7] Resolute has a very dry climate with an average precipitation of 161.2 mm (6.35 in) a year, most of it falling as snow from September to October.[7] The record high for Resolute is 20.1 °C (68.2 °F) on July 2, 2012.[8] The record low for Resolute is −52.2 °C (−62.0 °F) on January 7, 1966.[7]
Resolute has never experienced an above-freezing temperature between October 20 and May 6.[9]
Between around April 30 and August 13, Resolute experiences midnight sun; whilst between around November 7 and February 4 there is polar night.[10] Between late November and mid-January, the sun is so low that there is not even civil twilight, with the only exception from complete darkness being a deeper-blue sky called nautical twilight at noon, but there is no true experience of 24 hours of pitch black darkness around noon. For about two weeks before and after the midnight sun in Resolute, the nights are still quite bright since it does not get any darker than civil twilight (this is the twilight where surrounding objects are still visible and outdoor activities can go on without the need for artificial lighting). Resolute, however, does not experience night (the phase of day) from about March 14 to September 29.[11]
Resolute does experience thunderstorms during the summer, but they are typically rare in the region.[12]
^Vincent, Warwick F; Hobbie, John E; Laybourn-Parry, Johanna (2008). "Introduction to the limnology of high-latitude lake and river ecosystems". Polar lakes and rivers: limnology of Arctic and Antarctic aquatic ecosystems: 1–24.
^Hudson, Ed; Aihoshi, David; Gaines, Tim; Simard, Gilles; Mullock, John. "The Weather of Nunavut and the Arctic"(PDF). NAV Canada. NAV Canada. p. 115. Archived from the original(PDF) on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.