Greenland Archives - State of the Planet

Vikings Abandoned Greenland Centuries Ago in Face of Rising Seas, Says New Study

Counterintuitively, seas were rising around Greenland as it went through a cold period centuries ago. This helped drive out Viking colonists, says new research.

by |May 1, 2023

A Hidden World: Nighttime Photography in Greenland

Photographer Steven Giovinco shared his thoughts on the creative process behind his images on display in a new exhibition, ‘On The Arctic Edge’.

by |March 1, 2023
An aerial image of a grey-brown coastline, where brown sand diffuses into blue water.

As Greenland’s Ice Melts, Glacial Sand Deposits May Offer a Welcome Economic Opportunity

Greenland’s majority Indigenous population is in favor of exploring sand extraction, according to an academic research poll.

by |January 31, 2023

Study Upsets Models of How Lake Drainage Within Glaciers May Influence Sea Level

Sudden plunges of lake waters from glacial surfaces to ice-sheet beds may not speed up the movement of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers, as previously thought.

by |October 14, 2022

Greenland’s Long and Intense Melt Season Is a Worrying Sign for Sea Level

Summer melt across Greenland has broken records this year.

by |September 29, 2022
polar bear on sea ice

During Low-Ice Seasons, Some Polar Bears Are Turning to Glacier Ice

As warming temperatures melt Arctic sea ice, glaciers act as supplemental habitat for a group of southeast Greenland polar bears looking to hunt during the low-ice season.

by |July 29, 2022

Crater Beneath Greenland Glacier Is 58 million Years Older Than Previously Thought

Researchers discovered that a meteorite crater beneath the Hiawatha glacier is much older than previously thought, leaving questions regarding its impact on global climate. 

by |July 19, 2022
tedesco looking at laptop computer while sitting on ice sheet

Marco Tedesco: Snow Man

Although his parents wanted him to become an electrical engineer, Tedesco felt drawn to a life of research. Then he fell in love with snow. Now he is among the most well-respected and quoted polar experts in the world.

by |January 13, 2022
The point where a glacier in Greenland meets the ocean

An Artificial Neural Network Joins the Fight Against Receding Glaciers

A new artificial neural network named CALFIN catalogues the rates at which glaciers are melting, demonstrating what the future of glaciology could look like.

by |May 5, 2021

Fossil Plants at Bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet Warn of Future Melting

The discovery of fossil plants below a mile of Greenland ice indicates that the ice sheet completely melted in the past, and suggests it could rapidly do so again.

by |March 15, 2021