A lost US military base under Greenland's ice sheet

Jan 22, 2026

In this engaging discussion, Paul Bierman, a geologist and expert in Greenland's ice-sheet history, unpacks the intriguing history of Camp Century, a secretive U.S. military base built in 1959. He reveals how its ice cores can inform us about past climates and future global warming. Bierman also addresses misconceptions about the accessibility of Greenland's rich mineral resources, emphasizing the challenges posed by its harsh environment. This insightful conversation blends history, science, and current geopolitical tensions.

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ANECDOTE

Building A Nuclear-Powered Ice Camp

Paul Bierman describes how US soldiers built Camp Century by carving tunnels in snow and powering it with a nuclear reactor.
The Army tested Project Iceworm's idea of moving missiles in ice tunnels but the shifting snow warped rails and collapsed passages.

ANECDOTE

First Continuous Deep Ice Core Mission

Scientists at Camp Century drilled the first continuous deep ice core and reached nearly a mile to frozen soil beneath the ice.
The team operated in protected trenches with chefs, machine shops, and round-the-clock shifts, making the project feel almost luxurious.

INSIGHT

Deep Core Reveals Greenland Once Ice-Free

The recovered 11 feet of sediment from under Camp Century revealed Greenland once lacked an ice sheet about 400,000 years ago.
That past disappearance shows comparable warming can make Greenland's ice retreat again, raising global sea level significantly.

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In the summer of 1959, a group of American soldiers began carving trenches in the Greenland ice sheet. Those trenches would become the snow covered tunnels of Camp Century, a secret Arctic research base powered by a nuclear reactor.

Camp Century operated for six years, during which time the scientists based there managed to drilling a mile down to collect a unique set of ice cores. But by 1966, it had been abandoned, deemed too expensive and difficult to maintain.

Today, Donald Trump’s territorial ambitions for Greenland continue to cause concern and confusion in Europe, particularly for Denmark and Greenlanders themselves who insist their island is not for sale.

One of the attractions of Greenland is the gleam of its rich mineral wealth, particularly rare earth minerals. Now that Greenland’s ice sheet is melting due to global warming, will this make the mineral riches easier to get at?

In this episode, we talk to Paul Bierman, a geologist and expert on Greenland’s ice at the University of Vermont in US. He explains why the history of what happened to Camp Century – and the secrets of its ice cores, misplaced for decades, but now back under the microscope – help us to understand why it’s not that simple.

This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware with editing help from Katie Flood. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the f ull credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

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