View source for Fjord

{{short description|Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity}}
{{about|the landform}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Geirangerfjord (6-2007).jpg|thumb|[[Geirangerfjord]], [[Norway]]]]
In [[physical geography]], a '''fjord''' (also spelled '''fiord''' in [[New Zealand English]]; {{IPAc-en|'|f|j|ɔr|d|audio=En-us-fjord.ogg|,_|f|i:|ˈ|ɔr|d}}<ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|fjord}}</ref>) is a long, narrow sea [[inlet]] with steep sides or cliffs in a [[U-shaped valley|valley created by]] a former [[glacier]], which has since become inundated with water.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://norwaytoday.info/travel/what-is-a-fjord-and-how-is-it-formed/ |title=What is a Fjord, and how is it formed |date=2016-05-08 |work=Norway Today |access-date=2017-12-30 |language=en-US |archive-date=2017-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225031214/http://norwaytoday.info/travel/what-is-a-fjord-and-how-is-it-formed/ }}</ref> They are the glacial equivalent of [[ria]]s, or drowned [[Valley#River valleys|river valleys]]. Fjords exist on the coasts of [[Antarctica]], the [[Arctic]], and surrounding landmasses of the northern and southern hemispheres.<ref>{{cite book |title=Fjords: Processes and Products |first1=James P. M. |last1=Syvitsky |first2=David C. |last2=Burrell |first3=Jens M. |last3=Skei |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fjordsprocessesp0000syvi/page/46 46–49] |year=1987 |location=New York |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |isbn=0-387-96342-1 |quote=The NE coast, from Victoria Fjord to the Scoresby Sund fjord complex ..., has approximately 78660 major fjords, some of them the world's largest and deepest. ... The SE coast, from Scoresby Sund to Kap Farvel ..., has approximately 100 fjords. |url=https://archive.org/details/fjordsprocessesp0000syvi/page/46}}</ref> Areas with extensive fjords demonstrate an extreme example of the [[coastline paradox]]; [[Norwegian coastline|Norway's coastline]] is estimated to be {{cvt|29000|km|mi}} long with its nearly 1,200 fjords, but only {{cvt|2500|km|mi}} long when excluding the fjords.<ref>{{cite web |title=Geografiske forhold (Geography of Norway) |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/aarbok/kart/i.html |publisher=Statistics Norway |access-date=24 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gregory |first=J. W. |title=The Nature and Origin of Fiords |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.215114 |date=1913 |publisher=John Murray |location=London}}</ref>

==Formation==
[[File:Glacier in eastern Greenland.jpg|thumb|A glacier in eastern Greenland flowing through a fjord carved by the movement of ice]]
[[File:Fjord genesis.png|thumb|Illustration of how a fjord is created]]
[[File:Odda frå fly.jpg|thumb|Fjords often continue as [[U-shaped valley]]s above sea level and freshwater fjord lakes: [[Sørfjorden (Hardanger)]] can be seen here transitioning into [[Sandvinvatnet]] and the Odda Valley. [[Odda (town)|Odda]] sits on the [[isthmus]], [[Folgefonna]] on the right.]]
A true fjord{{Clarify |date=November 2025 |reason=this definition does not clearly state what constitutes a 'true fjord', and does not clarify what is meant by 'true' (are there other types of fjords? What makes them 'false'?}} is formed when a [[glacier]] cuts a [[U-shaped valley]] by [[ice segregation]] and [[Abrasion (geology)|abrasion]] of the surrounding bedrock.<ref name= Murton2006>{{Cite journal |last=Murton |first=Julian B. |author2= Peterson, Rorik |author3=Ozouf, Jean-Claude |title=Bedrock Fracture by Ice Segregation in Cold Regions |journal= [[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=314 |issue=5802 |pages=1127–1129 |date=17 November 2006 |doi=10.1126/science.1132127 |pmid=17110573 |bibcode=2006Sci...314.1127M |s2cid= 37639112 }}</ref> According to the standard model,{{Definition needed |date=November 2025 |reason= unclear if the 'standard model' is in opposition to since superceded models or newly proposed models}} glaciers formed in pre-glacial valleys with a gently sloping valley floor. The work of the glacier then left an [[Overdeepening|overdeepened]] U-shaped valley that ends abruptly at a valley or trough end. Such valleys are fjords when flooded by the ocean. Thresholds above sea level create freshwater lakes.<ref name="Aarseth" /> Glacial melting is accompanied by the rebounding of Earth's crust as the ice load and eroded sediment is removed (also called [[isostasy]] or glacial rebound). In some cases, this rebound is faster than [[sea level rise]]. Most fjords are [[Overdeepening|deeper than the adjacent sea]]; [[Sognefjord]], [[Norway]], reaches as much as {{convert|1300|m|abbr=on|0}} below [[sea level]]. Fjords generally have a sill or shoal (bedrock) at their mouth caused by the previous glacier's reduced erosion rate and [[terminal moraine]].<ref name= Alley2003>{{Cite journal |last=Alley |first= R.B. |author2=D. E. Dawson |author3=G. J. Larson |author4=E. B. Evenson |author5=G. S. Baker |title=Stabilizing feedbacks in glacier-bed erosion |journal=Nature |volume=424 |issue=6950 |pages=758–760 |publisher=Nature PublishingGroup |date=14 August 2003 |doi=10.1038/nature01839 |pmid=12917679 |bibcode= 2003Natur.424..758A |s2cid=4319448 }}</ref> In many cases this sill causes extreme currents and large saltwater rapids (see [[Tidal rapid|skookumchuck]]). [[Saltstraumen]] in Norway is often described as the world's strongest [[Tide#Current|tidal current]]. These characteristics distinguish fjords from [[ria]]s (such as the [[Bay of Kotor]]), which are drowned valleys flooded by the rising sea. [[Drammensfjorden]] is cut almost in two by the [[Svelvik]] "ridge", a sandy moraine that was below sea level when it was covered by ice, but after the post-glacial rebound reaches {{cvt|60|m|||}} above the fjord.<ref>Jørgensen, Per: ''Kvartærgeologi''. Landbruksforlaget, 1995.</ref>

In the 19th century, [[Jens Esmark]]  introduced the theory that fjords are or have been created by glaciers and that large parts of Northern Europe had been covered by thick ice in prehistory.<ref name="Holtedahl" /> Thresholds at the mouths and overdeepening of fjords compared to the ocean are the strongest evidence of glacial origin,<ref name= "Nesje, A. 1994">{{cite journal |last1=Nesje |first1=Atle |last2=Whillans |first2=Ian M. |title=Erosion of Sognefjord, Norway |journal= Geomorphology |date=1 February 1994 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=33–45 |doi=10.1016/0169-555X(94)90029-9 |bibcode= 1994Geomo...9...33N |language= en |issn=0169-555X}}</ref> and these thresholds are mostly rocky. Thresholds are related to sounds and low land where the ice could spread out and therefore have less erosive force. [[John Walter Gregory]] argued that fjords are of [[tectonic]] origin and that glaciers had a negligible role in their formation. Gregory's views were rejected by subsequent research and publications. In the case of Hardangerfjord the fractures of the [[Caledonian orogeny|Caledonian fold]] has guided the erosion by glaciers, while there is no clear relation between the direction of Sognefjord and the fold pattern.<ref name="Holtedahl">{{cite journal | last= Holtedahl| first= H. | year= 1967| title= Notes on the formation of fjords and fjord-valleys| journal= Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography| volume= 49| number= 2| pages= 188–203| doi= 10.1080/04353676.1967.11879749 | bibcode= 1967GeAnA..49..188H }}</ref> This relationship between fractures and direction of fjords is also observed in [[Lyngen (fjord)|Lyngen]].<ref>Randall, B. A. O. (1961). On the relationship of valley and fjord directions to the fracture pattern of Lyngen, Troms N. Norway. ''Geografiska Annaler'', 43(3/4), 336–338.</ref> Preglacial, [[Tertiary (period)|Tertiary]] rivers presumably eroded the surface and created valleys that later guided the glacial flow and erosion of the bedrock. This may in particular have been the case in Western Norway where the tertiary uplift of the landmass amplified eroding forces of rivers.<ref name="Holtedahl" />

Confluence of tributary fjords led to excavation of the deepest fjord basins. Near the very coast, the typical West Norwegian glacier spread out (presumably through sounds and low valleys) and lost their concentration and reduced the glaciers' power to erode leaving bedrock thresholds. [[Bolstadfjorden]] is {{cvt|160|m|||}} deep with a threshold of only {{cvt|1.5|m|||}},<ref name="Holtedahl" /><ref name="Aarseth">Aarseth, I., Nesje, A., & Fredin, O. (2014). ''West Norwegian fjords.'' Geological Society of Norway (NGF), Trondheim, 2014. {{ISBN|978-82-92-39491-5}}</ref> while the {{cvt|1300|m|||}} deep Sognefjorden has a threshold around {{cvt|100|to|200|m|}} deep.<ref name= "Geografisk">{{cite book | title = Geografisk leksikon| editor-first= Waldemar| editor-last= Brøgger| place= Oslo| publisher= Cappelen| year= 1963}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://snl.no/Sognefjorden |title=Sognefjorden |website= snl.no| date=15 August 2021}}</ref> [[Hardangerfjord]] is made up of several basins separated by thresholds: The deepest basin Samlafjorden between Jonaneset ([[Jondal (village)|Jondal]]) and [[Ålvik]] with a distinct threshold at Vikingneset in [[Kvam Municipality]].<ref name="Holtedahl" />

[[File:Muldalsfossen.JPG|thumb|upright|Muldalsfossen waterfall drops several hundred meters from the Muldalen hanging valley to [[Tafjorden]].]]
[[Hanging valley]]s are common along glaciated fjords and [[U-shaped valley]]s. A hanging valley is a [[tributary]] valley that is higher than the main valley and was created by tributary [[glacier]] flows into a glacier of larger volume. The shallower valley appears to be 'hanging' above the main valley or a fjord. Often, [[waterfall]]s form at or near the outlet of the upper valley.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glossary of Glacier Terminology |website= usgs.gov |publisher=US Geological Survey |date= May 28, 2004 |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1216/h/h.html |access-date= 2007-05-24 }}</ref> Small waterfalls within these fjords are also used as freshwater resources. Hanging valleys also occur underwater in fjord systems. The branches of [[Sognefjord]] are for instance much shallower than the main fjord. The mouth of [[Fjærlandsfjord]] is about {{cvt|400|m|||}} deep while the main fjord is {{cvt|1200|m|||}} nearby. The mouth of Ikjefjord is only {{cvt|50|m}} deep while the main fjord is around {{cvt|1300|m|||}} at the same point.<ref name="Nesje, A. 1994"/>

==Features and variations==
[[File:Weichsel-Würm-Glaciation.png|thumb|Distribution of ice (white) in Europe during the [[last glacial period]]]]

===Hydrology===
During the winter season, there is usually little inflow of water that is fresh. Surface water and deeper water (down to {{cvt|100|m|disp=or||}} or more) are mixed during winter because of the steady cooling of the surface and wind. In the deep fjords, there is still fresh water from the summer with less density than the saltier water along the coast. Offshore wind, common in the fjord areas during winter, sets up a current on the surface from the inner to the outer parts. This current on the surface in turn pulls dense salt water from the coast across the fjord threshold and into the deepest parts of the fjord.<ref name= Skreslet>{{Cite book |title=Fjordene og kyststrømmen |last=Skreslet |first=Stig |publisher=Møre og Romsdal naturvern |year=1980 |place=Åndalsnes; Rauma/Ulvåa på vektskåla |pages=48–54 }}</ref> Bolstadfjorden has a threshold of only {{cvt|1.5|m|||}} and strong inflow of freshwater from [[Vosso]] river creates a brackish surface that blocks circulation of the deep fjord. The deeper, salt layers of Bolstadfjorden are deprived of oxygen and the seabed is covered with organic material. The shallow threshold also creates a strong tidal current.<ref name= "Aarseth" />

During the summer season, there is usually a large inflow of river water in the inner areas. This freshwater gets mixed with saltwater creating a layer of brackish water with a slightly higher surface than the ocean which in turn sets up a current from the river mouths towards the ocean. This current is gradually more salty towards the coast and right under the surface current there is a reverse current of saltier water from the coast. In the deeper parts of the fjord the cold water remaining from winter is still and separated from the atmosphere by the brackish top layer. This deep water is ventilated by mixing with the upper layer causing it to warm and freshen over the summer.<ref>{{cite journal | first1= J.H. | last1= Simpson | first2= T.P.| last2= Rippeth| year= 1993| title= The Clyde Sea – a model of seasonal stratification and mixing| journal= Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science| number= 37| pages= 129–144| doi= 10.1006/ecss.1993.1047 }}</ref> In fjords with a shallow threshold or low levels of mixing this deep water is not replaced every year and low oxygen concentration makes the deep water unsuitable for fish and animals. In the most extreme cases, there is a constant barrier of freshwater on the surface and the fjord freezes over such that there is no oxygen below the surface. [[Drammensfjorden]] is one example.<ref name=Skreslet/> The mixing in fjords predominantly results from the propagation of an [[internal tide]] from the entrance sill or internal seiching.<ref>Arneborg, L., Janzen, C., Liljebladh, B., Rippeth, T., Simpson, J. H. & Stigebrandt, A. (2004). Spatial variability of diapycnal mixing and turbulent dissipation rates in a stagnant fjord basin. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 34(7), 1679–1691</ref>

The Gaupnefjorden branch of [[Sognefjord]]en is strongly affected by freshwater as a glacial river flows in. [[Velfjorden]] has little inflow of freshwater.<ref name=":0" />

===Coral reefs===
In 2000, some [[coral reef]]s were discovered along the bottoms of the Norwegian fjords.<ref>[http://www.imr.no/coral/ Institute of Marine Research: Coral reefs in Norway] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011222735/http://www.imr.no/coral/ |date=2008-10-11 }}</ref> These reefs were found in fjords from the north of Norway to the south. The marine life on the reefs is believed to be one of the most important reasons why the Norwegian coastline is such a generous fishing ground. Since this discovery is fairly new, little research has been done. The reefs are host to thousands of lifeforms such as [[plankton]], [[coral]], [[Sea anemone|anemones]], fish, several species of shark, and many more. Most are specially adapted to life under the greater pressure of the [[water column]] above it, and the total darkness of the deep sea.<ref name=natgeofjord/>

New Zealand's fjords are also host to [[deep-water coral]]s, but a surface layer of dark fresh water allows these corals to grow in much shallower water than usual. An underwater observatory in [[Milford Sound]] allows tourists to view them without diving.<ref>Paddy Ryan. ''[http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MarineEnvironments/Fiords/2/en Fiords – Underwater rock walls and basins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016231505/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MarineEnvironments/Fiords/2/en |date=2008-10-16 }}'', Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 2008-04-18.</ref>

===Skerries===
In some places near the seaward margins of areas with fjords, the ice-scoured channels are so numerous and varied in direction that the rocky coast is divided into thousands of island blocks, some large and mountainous while others are merely rocky points or rock [[reef]]s, menacing navigation. These are called [[skerry|skerries]].<ref name=natgeofjord>{{cite magazine |url=http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/fjord/?ar_a=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005064635/http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/fjord/?ar_a=1 |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |title=Fjord |magazine=National Geographic |access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> The term skerry is derived from the [[Old Norse]] ''{{lang|non|sker}}'', which means a rock in the sea.{{sfn|Moore|1890|p=277}}

Skerries most commonly formed at the outlet of fjords where submerged glacially formed valleys perpendicular to the coast join with other cross valleys in a complex array. The island fringe of Norway is such a group of skerries (called a ''{{lang|no|skjærgård}}''); many of the cross fjords are so arranged that they parallel the coast and provide a protected channel behind an almost unbroken succession of mountainous islands and skerries. By this channel, one can travel through a protected passage almost the entire {{convert|1601|km|abbr=on|0}} route from [[Stavanger (city)|Stavanger]] to [[North Cape, Norway|North Cape]], Norway. The [[Blindleia]] is a skerry-protected waterway that starts near [[Kristiansand (town)|Kristiansand]] in southern Norway and continues past [[Lillesand (town)|Lillesand]]. The [[Sweden|Swedish]] coast along [[Bohuslän]] is likewise skerry guarded. The [[Inside Passage]] provides a similar route from [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], and [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], to [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]], [[Alaska]]. Yet another such skerry-protected passage extends from the [[Straits of Magellan]] north for {{convert|800|km|abbr=on}}.

===Phytoplankton===
Fjords provide unique environmental conditions for [[phytoplankton]] communities. In polar fjords, glacier and ice sheet outflow add cold, fresh meltwater along with transported sediment into the body of water. Nutrients provided by this outflow can significantly enhance phytoplankton growth. For example, in some fjords of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), nutrient enrichment from meltwater drives [[diatom]] blooms, a highly productive group of phytoplankton that enable such fjords to be valuable feeding grounds for other species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mascioni |first1=Martina |last2=Almandoz |first2=Gastón O. |last3=Ekern |first3=Lindsey |last4=Pan |first4=B. Jack |last5=Vernet |first5=Maria |date=2021-12-01 |title=Microplanktonic diatom assemblages dominated the primary production but not the biomass in an Antarctic fjord |journal=Journal of Marine Systems |language=en |volume=224 |article-number=103624 |doi=10.1016/j.jmarsys.2021.103624 |bibcode=2021JMS...22403624M |issn=0924-7963|doi-access=free }}</ref> It is possible that as [[climate change]] reduces long-term meltwater output, nutrient dynamics within such fjords will shift to favor less productive species, destabilizing the food web ecology of fjord systems.

In addition to nutrient flux, sediment carried by flowing glaciers can become suspended in the water column, increasing [[turbidity]] and reducing light penetration into greater depths of the fjord. This effect can limit the available light for [[photosynthesis]] in deeper areas of the water mass, reducing phytoplankton abundance beneath the surface.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kang |first1=Sung-Ho |last2=Kim |first2=Yea-Dong |last3=Kang |first3=Jae-Shin |last4=Yoo |first4=Kyu-Cheul |last5=Yoon |first5=Ho-Il |last6=Lee |first6=Won-Cheol |date=2003 |title=Monitoring on the Marine Environment and Phytoplankton of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Arctic |url=https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200312242755678.page |journal=Ocean and Polar Research |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=213–226 |doi=10.4217/OPR.2003.25.2.213 |issn=1598-141X|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Overall, phytoplankton abundance and species composition within fjords is highly seasonal, varying as a result of seasonal light availability and water properties that depend on glacial melt and the formation of sea ice. The study of phytoplankton communities within fjords is an active area of research, supported by groups such as FjordPhyto, a citizen science initiative to study phytoplankton samples collected by local residents, tourists, and boaters of all backgrounds.

===Epishelf lakes===
An epishelf lake forms when meltwater is trapped behind a floating ice shelf and the freshwater floats on the denser saltwater below. Its surface may freeze forming an isolated ecosystem.

{{Panorama
|image   = File:PanoHardangerfjorden1.jpg
|height  = 150
|alt     = [[Hardangerfjord]] in [[Vestland]], [[Norway]]
|caption = [[Hardangerfjord]] in [[Vestland]], [[Norway]]
}}

==Etymology==
[[Image:Norge Fjorder1.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Important fjords and lakes in [[Norway]]. Note: The part of the map showing the northern fjords has a considerably smaller scale. Blurred coastlines = [[skerry|skerries]]]]

The word ''fjord'' is borrowed from [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], where it is pronounced {{IPA|no|ˈfjuːr|}}, {{IPA|no|ˈfjøːr|}}, {{IPA|no|ˈfjuːɽ|}} or {{IPA|no|ˈfjøːɽ|}} in various [[Norwegian dialects|dialects]] and has a more general meaning, referring in many cases to any long, narrow body of water, [[inlet]] or [[Channel (geography)|channel]] (for example, see [[Oslofjord]]).

The Norwegian word is inherited from [[Old Norse]] {{Lang|non|fjǫrðr}}, a noun which refers to a 'lake-like' body of water used for passage and ferrying and is closely related to the noun {{lang|non|ferð}} "travelling, ferrying, journey".<ref name="Nesje">Nesje, A. (2009). Fjords of Norway: Complex Origin of a Scenic Landscape. In ''Geomorphological Landscapes of the World'' (pp. 223–234). Springer, Dordrecht.</ref><ref name="s">{{Cite web |url=https://snl.no/fjord |title=fjord |date=2021 |access-date=11 December 2021 |website=Store norske leksikon |last=Lilleøren |first=Karianne}}

</ref> Both words go back to [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]] {{Wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|*pértus}} "crossing", from the root {{Wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|per-#Root_2|*per-}} "cross". The words ''fare'' and ''ferry'' are of the same origin.<ref>Helleland, Botolv (1975). ''Norske stedsnavn/stadnamn''. Oslo: Grøndahl. {{ISBN|8250401042}}.</ref><ref name=":3">Migon, P. (Ed.). (2010). ''Geomorphological landscapes of the world.'' Springer Science & Business Media, p. 223.</ref>

The Scandinavian ''fjord'', [[Proto-Norse|Proto-Scandinavian]] {{lang|non|ferþuz|proto=yes}}, is the origin for similar [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] words: [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] {{lang|is|fjörður}}, [[Faroese language|Faroese]] {{lang|fo|fjørður}}, [[Swedish language|Swedish]] {{lang|sv|fjärd}} (for Baltic waterbodies), [[Scots language|Scots]] {{lang|sco|[[firth]]}} (for marine waterbodies, mainly in Scotland and northern England).<ref name="s" /><ref name=":3" /> The Norse noun {{lang|non|fjǫrðr}} was adopted in German as {{lang|de|Förde}}, used for the narrow long bays of [[Schleswig-Holstein]], and in English as ''firth'' "fjord, river mouth". The English word ''[[ford (crossing)|ford]]'' (compare [[German language|German]] {{lang|de|Furt}}, [[Low German]] {{lang|nds|Ford}} or {{lang|nds|Vörde}}, in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] names {{lang|nl|voorde}} such as Vilvoorde, [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|πόρος}}, {{lang|grc-Latn|poros}}, and [[Latin]] {{lang|la|portus}}) is assumed to originate from Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|ferþu-}} and Indo-European root {{lang|ine-x-proto|pertu-}} meaning "crossing point". Fjord/firth/Förde as well as ford/Furt/Vörde/voorde refer to a Germanic noun for ''a travel'': [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic]] {{lang|gmq|ferd}} or {{lang|gmq|färd}} and of the verb ''to travel'', Dutch {{lang|nl|varen}}, German {{lang|de|fahren}}; English ''to fare''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Norsk etymologisk ordbok |last=de Caprona |first=Yann |publisher=Kagge |year=2014 |isbn=978-8-2489-1054-1 }}</ref>

As a [[loanword]] from Norwegian,<ref name="Nesje" /> it is one of the few words in the English language to start with the sequence ''fj''.<ref>[[fjeld]] is another</ref> The word was for a long time normally spelled ''f'''i'''ord'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fowler |first1=H. W. |author1-link=Henry Watson Fowler |title=A Dictionary of Modern English Usage:The Classic First Edition: The Classic First Edition |orig-date=1926 |date=10 September 2009 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-953534-7 |page=181 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vr7muDFR6j4C&pg=PA181 |language=en |quote=The OED gives precedence to fi-. The other spelling is apparently used in English to help the ignorant to call it fyord; as, instead of helping, it only puzzles them, it should be abandoned}}</ref> a spelling preserved in place names such as [[Grise Fiord]]. The ''fiord'' spelling mostly remains only in [[New Zealand English]], as in the place name [[Fiordland]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Paddy |title=Fiords |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/fiords |website=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en |date=12 June 2016}}</ref>

===Scandinavian usage===
[[File:Monet banks fjord christiania 1895.jpg|thumb|''Fjord à Christiania'', by [[Claude Monet]] (1895).]]
[[File:Svartisen-2009-07-08-14-03-055.jpg|thumb|[[Holandsfjorden]] with [[Svartisen]] glacier in [[Nordland]].]]
{{see also|Förden and East Jutland Fjorde}}

The use of the word fjord in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish is more general than in English and in international scientific terminology. In Scandinavia, ''fjord'' is used for a narrow inlet of the sea in Norway, Denmark and western Sweden, but this is not its only application. In Norway and Iceland, the usage is closest to the Old Norse, with fjord used for both a firth and for a long, narrow inlet. In eastern Norway, the term is also applied to long narrow freshwater lakes ([[Randsfjorden]] and [[Tyrifjorden]]) and sometimes even to rivers (for instance in [[Flå Municipality]] in [[Hallingdal]], the [[Hallingdalselva|Hallingdal river]] is referred to as {{lang|no|fjorden}}). In southeast Sweden, the name [[fjard]] {{lang|sv|fjärd}} is a subdivision of the term 'fjord' used for bays, [[bight (geography)|bights]] and narrow inlets on the Swedish [[Baltic Sea]] coast, and in most Swedish lakes. This latter term is also used for bodies of water off the coast of Finland where [[Finland Swedish]] is spoken. In Danish, the word may even apply to shallow [[lagoon]]s. In modern Icelandic, {{lang|is|fjörður}} is still used with the broader meaning of firth or inlet. In [[Faroese language|Faroese]] {{lang|fo|fjørður}} is used both about inlets and about broader sounds, whereas a narrower sound is called {{lang|fo|sund}}. In the [[Finnish language]], a word {{lang|fi|vuono}} is used although there is only one fjord in Finland.

In old Norse [[Genitive case|genitive]] was {{lang|non|fjarðar}} whereas [[Dative case|dative]] was {{lang|ine-x-proto|firði}}. The dative form has become common place names like Førde (for instance [[Førde (town)|Førde]]), Fyrde or Førre (for instance [[Førre]]).<ref>Rygh, O. (1898). ''Norske Gaardnavne: Oplysninger samlede til Brug ved Matrikelens Revision.'' Kristiania: Fabritius.</ref>

The German use of the word {{lang|de|Föhrde}} for long narrow bays on their Baltic Sea coastline, indicates a common [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] origin of the word. The landscape consists mainly of moraine heaps. The {{lang|de|Föhrden}} and some "fjords" on the east side of Jutland, Denmark are also of glacial origin. But while the glaciers digging "real" fjords moved from the mountains to the sea, in Denmark and Germany they were tongues of a huge glacier covering the basin of which is now the Baltic Sea. See [[Förden and East Jutland Fjorde]].

Whereas fjord names mostly describe bays (though not always geological fjords), [[strait]]s in the same regions typically are named ''Sund'', in Scandinavian languages as well as in German. The word is related to "to sunder" in the meaning of "to separate". So the use of ''[[Sound (geography)|Sound]]'' to name fjords in North America and New Zealand differs from the European meaning of that word.

The name of [[Wexford]] in [[Ireland]] is originally derived from {{lang|non|Veisafjǫrðr}} ("inlet of the mud flats") in Old Norse, as used by the [[Viking]] settlers—though the inlet at that place in modern terms is an [[estuary]], not a fjord. Similarly the name of [[Milford Haven|Milford]] (now Milford Haven) in [[Wales]] is derived from {{lang|non|Melrfjǫrðr}} ("sandbank fjord/inlet"),<ref name="owen">{{cite book |last1=Morgan |first1=Richard |last2=Owen |first2=Hywel Wyn |title=Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales |date=2022 |publisher=Y Lolfa |isbn=978-1-80099-239-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8vGxEAAAQBAJ |access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref> though the [[Milford Haven Waterway|inlet]] on which it is located is actually a ria.

Before or in the early phase of [[Old Norse]] {{lang|non|angr}} was another [[common noun]] for fjords and other inlets of the ocean. This word has survived only as a suffix in names of some Scandinavian fjords and has in same cases also been transferred to adjacent settlements or surrounding areas for instance [[Hardanger]], [[Stavanger]], and [[Geiranger]].<ref>Rygh, O. (1896). ''Norske Fjordnavne.'' Kristiania: Aschehoug.</ref><ref>Helle, Knut (1975). ''Stavanger: fra våg til by.'' Stavanger: Stabenfeldt. {{ISBN|8253201893}}.</ref>

==Differences in definitions==
[[File:Limski Istria 1.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Lim (Croatia)|Lim]] bay in Croatia is commonly called a fjord but is scientifically a [[ria]].]]

The differences in usage between the [[English language|English]] and the [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian languages]] have contributed to confusion in the use of the term fjord. Bodies of water that are clearly fjords in Scandinavian languages are not considered fjords in English; similarly bodies of water that would clearly not be fjords in the Scandinavian sense have been named or suggested to be fjords. Examples of this confused usage follow.

In the [[Danish language]] some inlets are called a fjord, but are, according to the English language definition, technically not a fjord, such as [[Roskilde Fjord]]. [[Limfjord]] in English terminology is a [[sound (geography)|sound]], since it separates the [[North Jutlandic Island]] (Vendsyssel-Thy) from the rest of [[Jutland]]. However, the Limfjord once was a fjord until the sea broke through from the west. [[Ringkøbing Fjord]] on the western coast of Jutland is a [[lagoon]]. The long narrow fjords of Denmark's [[Baltic Sea]] coast like the German {{lang|de|[[Förde]]n}} were dug by ice moving from the sea upon land, while fjords in the geological sense were dug by ice moving from the mountains down to the sea. However, some definitions of a fjord is: "A long narrow inlet consisting of only one inlet created by glacial activity". Examples of Danish fjords are: [[Kolding Fjord]], [[Vejle Fjord]] and [[Mariager Fjord]].

The fjords in [[Finnmark]] in Norway, which are fjords in the [[Scandinavia]]n sense of the term, are not universally considered to be  fjords by the scientific community,<ref name="Bird2008a">Bird, E.C.F. (2008) ''Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction'', 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. West Sussex, England. {{ISBN|978-0-470-51729-1}}</ref> because although glacially formed, most Finnmark fjords lack the steep-sided valleys of the more southerly Norwegian fjords. The glacial pack was deep enough to cover even the high grounds when they were formed. The [[Oslofjord]], on the other hand, is a [[rift valley]], and not glacially formed.

The indigenous [[Māori people]] of [[New Zealand]] see a fjord as a kind of sea ({{langx|mi|tai}}<!-- based on https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=tai -->) that runs by a [[bluff (geography)|bluff]] ({{lang|mi|matapari}}<!-- based on https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=matapari -->, altogether {{lang|mi|tai matapari}} "bluff sea").<ref>[https://geographicfeatures.linz.govt.nz/ "New Zealand Geographic Features"]. ''New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa''. Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.</ref>

==="Fjords" not created by glaciers===
The term "fjord" is sometimes applied to steep-sided inlets which were not created by glaciers. Most such inlets are drowned river canyons or [[ria]]s. Examples include:
* In [[Acapulco]], [[Mexico]], the [[calanque]]s (narrow, rocky inlets) on the western side of the city, where the famous cliff-divers perform daily, are described in the city's tourist literature <!--or in guidebooks; more than one--> as being fjords.<!--I think they even attribute them to glaciation-->
* The calanques of [[Calanques National Park|Parc national des Calanques]], [[Provence]], France, are also referred to as fjords.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Calanques: A Gem at the Edge of Marseille |url=https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/en/provence/get-inspired/provencal-coast/the-calanques-fjords-a-jewel-at-the-gateway-to-marseille/#:~:text=The%20Calanques%20fjords&text=Welcome%20to%20Provence's%20most%20natural,the%20azure%20blue%20waters%20below. |website= cotedazur.com | date=30 January 2019 | publisher= Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur Tourism |access-date= 7 May 2024}}</ref>
* [[River Camel|Camel Estuary]] at [[Padstow]], [[Cornwall]], England, is sometimes referred to as a fjord.<ref name="kfurgusson">{{cite book |last1= Fergusson |first1=Kirsty |title=Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly |date=2023 |publisher= Bradt Travel Guides |isbn= 978-1-80469-098-7}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=June 2024}} despite being classified as a ria.
* The [[Fiordo di Furore]] in Italy is actually a ria.
* [[Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica|Golfo Dulce]] in [[Puntarenas Province|Puntarenas]], Costa Rica. Like the Saco de Mamangua below, it is sometimes described as a "tropical fjord".
* The [[Khor ash Sham]] in the [[Musandam Peninsula]] in [[Oman]], and other "khors" or inlets in the deeply indented coast of Musandam, are often described as "fjords". They were formed by the [[subduction]] of the [[Arabian Plate|Arabian tectonic plate]] beneath the [[Eurasian Plate|Eurasian plate]].<ref>{{cite news |date=25 October 2014 |title=The hardship posting to end all hardship postings |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29761017}}</ref>
* [[Bay of Kotor]] in [[Montenegro]]
* the [[Lim (Croatia)|Lim]] bay in [[Istria]], [[Croatia]], is sometimes called "Lim fjord" although it is a [[ria]] dug by the river Pazinčica. The [[Croats]] call it ''{{lang|hr|Limski kanal}}'', which does not translate precisely to the English equivalent either.
* [[Milford Haven Waterway]] in [[Pembrokeshire]], Wales. This inlet is a [[ria]]. The place-name is derived from Old Norse ''Melrfjordr'' meaning "sandbank fjord".
* [[Port Davey]] in [[Tasmania]], Australia is popularly believed to be a "fjord", but is now thought to be part of a drowned river valley system.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barker |first1=W E |last2=Ahmad |first2=Naseer |title=Re-examination of the 'fjord' theory of Port Davey, Tasmania (1959) |url= https://eprints.utas.edu.au/14081/1/1959_Baker_Re-examination_Fjord_Theory_Port_Davey.pdf | via= utas.edu.au |access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref>
* {{ill|Saco do Mamanguá|pt}} in [[Paraty]], [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil.<ref name="shortandrew">{{cite book |last1= Da F Klein |first1=Antonio Henrique |last2=Short |first2=Andrew D |title= Brazilian Beach Systems |date=19 July 2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn= 978-3-319-30394-9 |page=389 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tm2zDAAAQBAJ |access-date=1 March 2023}}</ref> Colloquially, it's been labeled the world's "only tropical fjord".

==Freshwater fjords==
[[File:Eidfjord in eine fantastische Landschaft eingebettet.jpg|thumb|[[Eidfjord]] village beneath the high terrace, the original ice-age delta. The river has carved a gorge through the terrace.]]
Some Norwegian freshwater lakes that have formed in long glacially carved valleys with sill thresholds, ice front deltas or terminal [[moraine]]s blocking the outlet follow the Norwegian naming convention; they are frequently named fjords. Ice front deltas developed when the ice front was relatively stable for long time during the melting of the ice shield. The resulting landform is an [[isthmus]] between the lake and the saltwater fjord, in Norwegian called "eid" as in placename [[Eidfjord]] or [[Nordfjordeid]]. The post-glacial rebound changed these deltas into terraces up to the level of the original sea level. In Eidfjord, [[Eio (river)|Eio]] has dug through the original delta and left a {{cvt|110|m|||}} terrace while lake is only {{cvt|19|m|||}} above sea level.<ref>''Geografi: landskap, ressursar, menneske, miljø.'' Oslo: Cappelen, 1999. {{ISBN|8202173078}}.</ref><ref name=":2" /> Such deposits are valuable sources of high-quality building materials (sand and gravel) for houses and infrastructure.<ref>Ramberg, I. B. (Ed.). (2008). ''The making of a land: geology of Norway''. Geological Society of London.</ref> Eidfjord village sits on the ''eid'' or isthmus between [[Eidfjordvatnet]] lake and Eidfjorden branch of Hardangerfjord.<ref>Brekke, Nils Georg; Skaar, Ronny B and Nord, Svein (1993). ''Kulturhistorisk Vegbok Hordaland. '' Nord4.</ref> Nordfjordeid is the isthmus with a village between Hornindalsvatnet lake and [[Nordfjord]].<ref>Tveit, Olav Jakob (1998). ''Indre Nordfjord.'' Oslo: Lunde. {{ISBN|8252031609}}.</ref><ref>''Indre Nordfjord: geologi og landskap.'' Oppstryn: Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter, 1995.</ref> Such lakes are also denoted ''fjord valley lakes'' by geologists.<ref>Bogen, J. (1983). Morphology and sedimentology of deltas in fjord and fjord valley lakes. ''Sedimentary Geology,'' 36(2–4), 245–267.</ref>

One of Norway's largest is [[Tyrifjorden]] at {{cvt|63|m|||}} above sea level and an average depth at {{cvt|97|m|||}} most of the lake is under sea level. Norway's largest lake, [[Mjøsa]], is also referred to as "the fjord" by locals.<ref name=":2">Gustav Indrebø (1924): ''Norske innsjønavn: Upplands fylke.'' Skrifter (Videnskabsselskapet i Kristiania), Historisk-filosofisk klasse.</ref> Another example is the freshwater fjord [[Movatnet]] (Mo lake) that until 1743 was separated from [[Romarheimsfjorden]] by an isthmus and connected by a short river. During a flood in November 1743, the river bed eroded and sea water could flow into the lake at high tide. Eventually, Movatnet became a saltwater fjord and renamed Mofjorden ({{ill|Mofjorden|no|Mofjorden|vertical-align=sup}}).<ref>''Bygdebok for Modalen og Eksingedalen.'' Bind 2. Sogenemnda, 1990.</ref> Like fjords, freshwater lakes are often deep. For instance [[Hornindalsvatnet]] is at least {{cvt|500|m|||}} deep and water takes an average of 16 years to flow through the lake.<ref>[http://atlas.nve.no/SilverlightViewer/?Viewer=NVEAtlas NVE Atlas. ''Vassdrag – Innsjødatabase – Dybdekart''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120059/http://atlas.nve.no/SilverlightViewer/?Viewer=NVEAtlas |date=2015-06-26 }} (National lakes database). Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate). Accessed 13 June 2015</ref> Such lakes created by glacial action are also called fjord lakes or [[moraine-dammed lake]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Innsjøenes verden |last=Strøm |first=Kaare |publisher=Universitetsforlaget |year=1959 |location=Oslo}}</ref>

Some of these lakes were salt after the ice age but later cut off from the ocean during the [[post-glacial rebound]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.artsdatabanken.no/NiN/Naturtype/6 |title=Fjord |access-date=30 January 2016 |publisher=Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203130343/http://www.artsdatabanken.no/NiN/Naturtype/6 |archive-date=3 February 2016}}</ref> At the end of the [[Weichselian glaciation|ice age]] Eastern Norway was about {{cvt|200|m|||}} lower (the marine limit). When the ice cap receded and allowed the ocean to fill valleys and lowlands, and lakes like Mjøsa and Tyrifjorden were part of the ocean while Drammen valley was a narrow fjord. At the time of the [[Viking Age|Vikings]] [[Drammensfjord]] was still {{cvt|4|or|5|m|spell=in}} higher than today and reached the town of [[Hokksund]], while parts of what is now the city of [[Drammen (town)|Drammen]] was under water.<ref>{{cite book |title=Fra fangstmann til viking |last=Johansen |first=Øystein Klock |publisher=Øvre Eiker kommune |year=1994 |location=Hokksund}}</ref> After the ice age the ocean was about {{cvt|150|m|||}} at [[Notodden]]. The ocean stretched like a fjord through [[Heddalsvatnet]] all the way to [[Hjartdal (village)|Hjartdal]]. [[Post-glacial rebound]] eventually separated Heddalsvatnet from the ocean and turned it into a freshwater lake.<ref>''Telemark.'' Oslo: Gyldendal. 1975. {{ISBN|8205068445}}.</ref><ref>''Norge sett fra luften''. Oslo: Det Beste. 1980. {{ISBN|8270100935}}.</ref> In [[Neolithic]] times Heddalsvatnet was still a saltwater fjord connected to the ocean, and was cut off from the ocean around 1500 BC.<ref>Mikkelsen, Egil (1989). ''Fra jeger til bonde: utviklingen av jordbrukssamfunn i Telemark i steinalder og bronsealder.'' Oslo: Universitetets oldsaksamling. {{ISBN|8271810790}}.</ref>

Some freshwater fjords such as [[Slidrefjord]] are above the marine limit.

Like freshwater fjords, the continuation of fjords on land are in the same way denoted as ''fjord-valleys''. For instance [[Flåmsdalen|Flåmsdal]] ([[Flåm]] valley) and [[Måbødalen]].<ref name="Holtedahl" /><ref>Hansen, L., Eilertsen, R. S., Solberg, I. L., Sveian, H., & Rokoengen, K. (2007). Facies characteristics, morphology and depositional models of clay-slide deposits in terraced fjord valleys, Norway. ''Sedimentary Geology,'' 202(4), 710–729.</ref><ref>Lidmar-Bergström, K., Ollier, C. D., & Sulebak, J. R. (2000). Landforms and uplift history of southern Norway. Global and Planetary Change, 24(3), 211–231.</ref>
[[File:Sogn Aardalstangen IMG 0097.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Årdalstangen]] village on the small isthmus between Årdalsvatnet lake (behind) and Årdalsfjorden branch of Sognefjorden (front)]]
Outside of Norway, the three western arms of [[New Zealand]]'s [[Lake Te Anau]] are named North Fiord, Middle Fiord and South Fiord. Another freshwater "fjord" in a larger lake is [[Western Brook Pond]], in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland's]] [[Gros Morne National Park]]; it is also often described as a fjord, but is actually a freshwater lake cut off from the sea, so is not a fjord in the English sense of the term. Locally they refer to it as a "landlocked fjord". Such lakes are sometimes called "fjord lakes". [[Okanagan Lake]] was the first North American lake to be so described, in 1962.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nasmith |first=Hugh |year =1962 |title =Late glacial history and surficial deposits of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia |location=Victoria, BC, Canada |publisher=BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources }}</ref> The bedrock there has been eroded up to {{convert|650|m|abbr=on|0}} ''below'' sea level, which is {{convert|2000|m|abbr=on|0}} below the surrounding regional topography.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Eyles |first=Nicholas |author2=Mullins, Henry T. |author3= Hine, Albert C. |year=1990 |title=Thick and fast: Sedimentation in a Pleistocene fiord lake of British Columbia, Canada |journal=Geology |volume=18 |issue=11 |pages=1153–1157 |doi=10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<1153:TAFSIA>2.3.CO;2 |bibcode=1990Geo....18.1153E}}</ref> Fjord lakes are common on the inland lea of the [[Coast Mountains]] and [[Cascade Range]]; notable ones include [[Lake Chelan]], [[Seton Lake]], [[Chilko Lake]], and [[Atlin Lake]]. [[Kootenay Lake]], [[Slocan Lake]] and others in the basin of the [[Columbia River]] are also fjord-like in nature, and created by glaciation in the same way. Along the [[British Columbia Coast]], a notable fjord-lake is [[Owikeno Lake]], which is a freshwater extension of [[Rivers Inlet]]. [[Quesnel Lake]], located in central British Columbia, is claimed to be the deepest fjord formed lake on Earth.

===Great Lakes===
A family of freshwater fjords are the embayments of the North American Great Lakes.  Baie Fine is located on the northwestern coast of [[Georgian Bay]] of [[Lake Huron]] in [[Ontario]], and [[Huron Bay]] is located on the southern shore of [[Lake Superior]] in [[Michigan]]. {{clear left}}

==Locations==
{{stack|clear=true|
[[File:Sognefjord, Norway.jpg|thumb|[[Sognefjord]] in [[Norway]], the longest fjord in Norway,<ref name="s" /> is a popular tourist attraction]]
[[File:Eyjafjörður.jpeg|thumb|[[Eyjafjörður]] in north Iceland, [[Akureyri]] can be seen to the far right]]
[[File:Killary Harbour.jpg|thumb|[[Killary Harbour]], western Ireland]]
[[File:MilfordSound.jpg|thumb|New Zealand's [[Milford Sound]]]]
[[File:Kenai_Fjords_coast.jpg|thumb|Glacier in a fjord at [[Kenai Fjords National Park]], [[Alaska]]]]
[[File:Stetind 2009 2.JPG|thumb|[[Tysfjorden]] in Norway north of the Arctic Circle is located in the [[boreal ecosystem|boreal]] zone]]
[[File:Drygalski-Fjord.jpg|thumb|The entrance to Larsen Harbour, a sub-embayment of [[Drygalski Fjord]] in [[South Georgia Island]]]]
[[File:Inostrantsewa-Gletscher 1 2014-09-05.jpg|thumb|The calving end of [[Inostrantsev Glacier]] at [[Inostrantsev Fjord]], [[Novaya Zemlya]].]]
}}

The principal mountainous regions where fjords have formed are in the higher [[middle latitudes]] and the high latitudes reaching to 80°N (Svalbard, Greenland), where, during the glacial period, many valley glaciers descended to the then-lower sea level. The fjords develop best in mountain ranges against which the prevailing [[westerlies|westerly]] marine winds are [[Orographic lift|orographically lifted]] over the mountainous regions, resulting in abundant snowfall to feed the glaciers. Hence coasts having the most pronounced fjords include the west coast of Norway, the west coast of North America from [[Puget Sound]] to Alaska, the southwest coast of New Zealand, and the west and to south-western coasts of [[South America]], chiefly in [[Chile]].

===Principal fjord regions===
* West coast of Europe
** [[Faroe Islands]]
** [[Westfjords]] of Iceland
** [[Eastern Region (Iceland)|Eastern Region]] of Iceland
** [[West Highlands]] of Scotland
** [[Norway]], the whole coast including [[Svalbard]]
** [[Kola Peninsula]] in Russia
* West coast of New Zealand
** [[Fiordland]], in the southwest of the [[South Island]]
* Northwest coast of North America
** Coast of Alaska, United States: [[Lynn Canal]], [[Glacier Bay]], etc.
** British Columbia Coast, Canada: from the Alaskan Border along the [[Portland Canal]] to [[Indian Arm]]; [[Kingcome Inlet]] is a typical West Coast fjord.
** [[Hood Canal]] in Washington, United States and various of the arms of Puget Sound
* Northeast coast of North America
** Labrador: [[Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve|Saglek Fjord]], [[Nachvak, Newfoundland and Labrador|Nachvak Fjord]], Hebron Fjord
** The east coast of [[Ungava Bay]].
** [[Baffin Island]]
** [[Ellesmere Island]]
** [[Saguenay River]] 
** [[Greenland]]: [[Kangerlussuaq]], [[Ilulissat Icefjord]], [[Scoresby Sund]], [[Disko Island]]

* Southwest coast of South America
** [[Fjords and channels of Chile]]
** [[Isla de los Estados]], Argentina

===Other glaciated or formerly glaciated regions===
Other regions have fjords, but many of these are less pronounced due to more limited exposure to westerly winds and less pronounced relief. Areas include:
* Europe
** Ireland
*** [[Lough Swilly]]
*** [[Carlingford Lough]]
*** [[Killary Harbour]]
** Russia (see also [[List of fjords of Russia]])
*** [[Chukchi Peninsula]]
*** [[Kola Peninsula]]
** Scotland (where they are called firths, the [[Scots language]] [[cognate]] of fjord; [[loch]]s or sea lochs). Notable examples are:
*** [[Loch Long]]
*** [[Loch Fyne]], Scotland's longest fjord at 65&nbsp;km
*** [[Loch Etive]]
** Sweden
*** Gullmarsfjorden, in [[Bohuslän]], Sweden
** Wales
*** [[Afon Mawddach|Mawddach Estuary]],<ref name="WLaS">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Peter |last2=Howe |first2=George Melvyn |title=Welsh Landforms and Scenery |date=1968 |publisher=MacMillan}}</ref>  a fjord in-filled by glacial deposits.
* North America
** Canada:
*** the west and south coasts of Newfoundland, particularly:
**** [[Facheux Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Facheux Bay]]
**** [[Bonne Bay]] in Gros Morne National Park
**** Aviron Bay
**** La Hune Bay
**** Bay de Vieux
**** White Bear Bay
**** Baie d'Espoir
**** La Poile Bay
**** Bay Le Moine
*** the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]]
*** Quebec, [[Saguenay Fjord]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Saguenay River |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/saguenay-river |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |access-date=8 December 2012 |archive-date=22 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822105418/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/saguenay-river }}</ref>
** United States:
*** [[Somes Sound]], [[Acadia National Park]], Maine
*** [[Hudson River]]
**** most clearly seen at [[The Palisades (Hudson River)|The Palisades]]
*** [[Puget Sound]]
* South America
** Argentina:
*** [[Isla de los Estados]]
* [[Arctic]]
** [[List of islands in the Arctic Ocean|Arctic islands]]
*** [[Novaya Zemlya]]
*** [[Severnaya Zemlya]]
* [[Antarctica (region)|Antarctica]]
** [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands#Geography|South Georgia]] ([[UK]])
** [[Kerguelen Islands]] ([[France]])
** particularly the [[Antarctic Peninsula]]
* [[List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands|Sub-Antarctic islands]]

[[File:Tysfjord Ballangen IMG 4878 stefjorden efjorden.JPG|thumb|Snow-covered mountains stand out in contrast to the dark water [[Efjorden]] fjord and [[Stefjorden]], [[Tysfjorden]] and [[Ofotfjorden]] fjords in the distance.]]

===Extreme fjords===
The longest fjords in the world are:
# [[Nansen Sound]]/[[Greely Fiord]]/[[Tanquary Fiord]] in Canada—{{convert|420|km|abbr=on|0}} <ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ford, Wm. L. |url=https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/66515 |title=On The Oceanography Of The Nansen Sound Fiord System |author2=Hattersley-Smith, G. |journal=Arctic |publisher=Arctic Institute of North America |year=1965 |volume=18 |issue=3 |page=159|doi=10.14430/arctic3465 }}</ref>
# [[Chatham Strait]]/[[Lynn Canal]] in United States—{{Convert|403|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=Lawrence |last2=Williams |first2=F.E. |date=1924 |title=An Ice-Eroded Fiord: The Mode of Origin of Lynn Canal, Alaska. |journal=Geographical Review |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=576–96 |doi=10.2307/208300 |jstor=208300|bibcode=1924GeoRv..14..576M }}</ref>
# [[Scoresby Sund]] in Greenland—{{convert|382|km|abbr=on|0}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Archaeology and Environment in the Scoresby Sund Fjord |year=1991 |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |isbn=87-635-1208-4 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4DaHyIC3DeEC&pg=PA7 |author1=Sandell, Hanne Tuborg |author2=Sandell, Birger }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TI55urJYyEC&pg=PA227 |page=227 |title=Geomorphological Landscapes of the World |editor-last=Migoń |editor-first=Piotr |editor-link=Piotr Migoń |publisher=Springer |year=2010 |isbn=978-90-481-3054-2}}</ref>
# [[Concepción Channel]]-Puerto Simpson in Chile—{{Convert|245|km|mi|abbr=on}}
# [[Sognefjord]] in Norway—{{convert|226|km|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snl_fjord_list">{{cite web |url=https://snl.no/Norges_lengste_fjorder |title=Norges Lengste Fjorder |author=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |language=no |access-date=2025-07-21}}</ref>
# [[Independence Fjord]] in Greenland—{{convert|200|km|abbr=on|0}}
# [[Hardangerfjord]] in Norway—{{convert|180|km|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snl_fjord_list" />
# [[Trondheimsfjord]] in Norway—{{convert|130|km|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snl_fjord_list" />
# [[Matochkin Shar]], Novaya Zemlya, Russia—{{convert|125|km|abbr=on|0}} (a strait with a fjord structure)<ref>Alexander P. Lisitzin, ''Sea-Ice and Iceberg Sedimentation in the Ocean: Recent and Past'', p. 449.</ref>
Deep fjords include:
# [[Skelton Inlet]] in Antarctica—{{convert|1933|m|abbr=on|0}}
# [[Sognefjord]] in Norway—{{convert|1308|m|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snl_fjord_list" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snl.no/Sognefjorden |title=Sognefjorden |author=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |language=no |access-date=2010-09-04}}</ref> (the mountains then rise to up to {{convert|1500|m|abbr=on|0}} and more, [[Hurrungane]] reaches {{convert|2400|m|abbr=on|0}})<ref>{{Cite book |title=Istider i Norge. Landskap formet av istidenes breer |last=Andersen |first=Bjørn G. |publisher=[[Universitetsforlaget]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-82-00-45134-1 |location=Oslo |page=30}}</ref>
# [[Messier Channel]] in Tortel, Chile—{{convert|1358|m|abbr=on|0}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-26 |title=The Deepest Fjords in The World |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-deepest-fjords-in-the-world.html |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=2017-09-09 |title=Gridded bathymetry of the Baker-Martinez fjord complex (Chile, 48°S) v1 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Gridded_bathymetry_of_the_Baker-Martinez_fjord_complex_Chile_48_S_v1/5285521/3 |journal=Marine Geoscience Data System|language=en |doi=10.6084/m9.figshare.5285521.v3 |last1=Piret |first1=Loic |last2=Bertrand |first2=Sebastien |last3=Vandekerkhove |first3=Elke |last4=Harada |first4=Naomi |last5=Moffat |first5=Carlos |last6=Rivera |first6=Andres |publisher=Figshare }}</ref>
# [[Baker Channel]] in Tortel, Chile—{{convert|1251|m|abbr=on|0}}

=== Heritage fjords ===
Norway has several heritage fjords, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other notable fjords, these will require visiting ships to be low-emission by 2026 and zero-emission by 2032<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-13 |title=The Norway cruise ship ban: What's happening in 2026? |url=https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/cruise-news/norway-cruise-ship-ban-2026-2032#:~:text=2026:%20Cruise%20lines%20till%20sailing,business%20as%20normal%20for%20now. |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=World of Cruising |language=en}}</ref>

* [[Geirangerfjord]]
* [[Nærøyfjord]]
* [[Hardangerfjord]]
* [[Trollfjord]]
* [[Urnes Stave Church]]
* [[Hjørundfjorden|Hjørundfjord]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Water|Environment|Geology}}
* [[Firth]]
* [[Förden and East Jutland Fjorde]]
* [[Fjard]]
* [[Ria]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book|last1=Moore|first1=Arthur William|title=The Surnames & Place-Names of the Isle of Man|publisher=E. Stock|isbn=978-1-110-30957-3|url=https://archive.org/details/surnamesplacena00moorgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/surnamesplacena00moorgoog/page/n18 2]|quote=surnames and place-names of isle of man.|date=1890|access-date=April 24, 2015}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary}}
{{commons}}
{{Wikivoyage|Fjord}}
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2683797.stm Use of whales to probe Arctic fjord's secrets]
* [http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/fiordland/western-fiordland/fiordlands-marine-reserves/features/fiordland-marine-reserves-a-z/ Fiordland's Marine Reserves] Department of Conservation
* [https://archive.today/20141012015008/http://www.nextstopnorway.com/norwegian-fjords Nextstopnorway – Listing of Norwegian fjords]
* [http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=rivers&sub=rivers_east_saguenay Saguenay River – The Canadian Atlas Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607065552/http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=rivers&sub=rivers_east_saguenay |date=2011-06-07 }}

{{glaciers}}
{{coastal geography}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fjords| ]]
[[Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms]]
[[Category:Glacial erosion landforms]]
[[Category:Glaciology]]
[[Category:Bodies of water]]