Greenland: Siltanews – News Desk
The unending stretch of the Greenland Ice Sheet, like a seasoned custodian of countless secrets, has concealed a Cold War-era ice camp beneath its surface.
This hidden camp came to light in 2024 when NASA scientist Chad Greene, aboard the Gulfstream III with his team of engineers, embarked on the expedition of a lifetime.
While probing the depths of the ice sheet about 150 miles east of Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, the radar readings showed a curious blip that sparked their interest.
The team had identified evidence of the buried remains of Camp Century.
We were looking for the bed of the ice, and out pops Camp Century,” exclaimed Alex Gardner, a cryospheric scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who had assisted in spearheading the project.
Camp Century, also affectionately known as the “city under the ice,” is a vestige of the chilling days when the Cold War was in full swing.
Constructed in 1959 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this hidden military base was etched out within the layers of the ice sheet itself.
Traces of the facility, which has been abandoned since 1967, now lie encased approximately 30 meters (100 feet) beneath the icy surface, waiting to narrate their intriguing past.
The base was constructed using large, prefabricated modules connected by tunnels, all insulated and heated to keep the inhabitants comfortable despite the freezing temperatures outside.
About 25 scientists and military personnel lived there, conducting experiments in geology, hydrology, and glaciology, while also testing technologies that could support long-term Arctic missions.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Camp Century is its innovative use of nuclear power.
The base was powered by a portable nuclear reactor, making it one of the first of its kind to operate in such harsh environments.
However, when the base was abandoned in 1967, concerns arose about the disposal of nuclear waste left behind.
Akin to an ultrasound meant for ice sheets, radar plays a pivotal role in unraveling the truths kept secret by nature.
Radar works on a simple principle – it emits radio waves and times their reflections back to the source. This allows scientists to map out the ice surface meticulously, along with its various internal layers, and the bedrock underneath.
Previous airborne surveys that flew over Camp Century managed to detect signs of the base encapsulated within the ice sheets.