In April 2024, NASA scientists flew over the Greenland Ice Sheet and made an unexpected discovery: Camp Century, a Cold War American base. Due to melting ice caused by global warming, the camp’s structure is gradually resurfacing.
What was Camp Century?
Camp Century, also called “City under the Ice”, was built in 1959 during the Cold War between the United States of America and the USSR. This American military camp was constructed in Greenland. Officially, the purpose of the base was to set up laboratories and conduct scientific research in the Arctic. However, it also served as a top-secret project known as « Iceworm ». This project can be summarized as a network of underground tunnels designed to store nuclear missiles, positioning them within firing range of the USSR. Although the camp was built with Denmark’s approval, the “Iceworm ”project was kept secret from them.
Why Greenland? A strategic land
Even if Greenland gave them the opportunity to position them within firing range of the USSR. The presence of the American military in Greenland, can also be explained by the presence of an among of natural resources – mainly petrol and gas.
Abandonment and Legacy
The base was abandoned in 1966 when shifting ice threatened to crush its tunnels. The United States military departed, leaving behind a dismantled nuclear reactor, radioactive waste, fuel, and various pollutants, assuming the ice would entomb them permanently. But the camp was recently rediscovered by NASA by flying over the territory.
The acceleration of the melting ice
The melting of the Arctic ice is accelerating, causing sea levels to rise and threatening island territories. A study published in the journal of the US National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) revealed a seven-fold acceleration in the melting of Greenland’s ice, from 40 billion tons of ice lost per year in the 1970s to 280 billion tons per year in the 2010s. The new study, as fascinating as it is disturbing, shows the impact of the climate change that we are facing.
Climate change reveals hidden dangers: nuclear waste
« Two generations ago, people were interring waste in different areas of the world, and now climate change is modifying those sites […] When we looked at the climate simulations, they suggested that rather than perpetual snowfall, it seems that as early as 2090, the site could transition from net snowfall to net melt. » said William Colgan, Professor at Geological Survey of Denmark & Greenland. Scientists have raised concerns that climate change will cause the ice covering the base to melt and allow waste from the base to enter into the atmosphere. More precisely, the scientists at CIRES estimate that about 136 acres of waste from Camp Century which are buried under the ice, including 53,000 gallons of diesel fuel, even more of wastewater and an unknown volume of low-level radioactive coolant, which can bet explained by the presence of a nuclear generator.
A warning from the past
The “City under the Ice” reemergence serves as a stark reminder of how Cold War military decisions continue to affect our present. It highlights the unexpected consequences of climate change, which is gradually unveiling secrets long thought buried by ice. This Camp Century demonstrates the interplay between military history, environmental challenges, and international responsibility, forcing us to confront our past decisions and future commitments.
For more informations:
The abandoned ice sheet base at Camp Century, Greenland, in a warming climate
Greenland and the Legacy of Camp Century
