The Glacial 'K' of Sirmilik National Park

This capital “K” appears in Sirmilik National Park, Nunavut, where mountain glaciers descend toward broad Arctic lowlands and marine inlets.

The Place of Glaciers

The name “Sirmilik” is often translated as “the place of glaciers,” and the park’s scale is enormous (over 22,000 km²). Parks Canada highlights glaciers as a defining ecological and cultural element of the region, alongside Inuit knowledge and stewardship.

Explorer vs Researcher View

Explorer: a dramatic ice-and-rock “K” at the edge of Arctic sea routes.

Researcher: branching glacier geometry that records topographic control and climate-driven cryosphere change.

"In Arctic parks, letter-like forms are often snapshots of cryosphere dynamics rather than permanent boundaries."

This “K” is a reminder that the Arctic is not static white space. It is an active system where ice, rock, and climate continuously redraw the map.

Sources

• Parks Canada — Sirmilik Glaciers
• Parks Canada — Sirmilik Management Plan
• Parks Canada — Hiking in Sirmilik