A chance discovery during a routine NASA flyover mission in Greenland has unveiled a remarkable piece of military history frozen in time.
According to Interesting Engineering, NASA scientists have located Camp Century, a secretive Cold War-era U.S. military installation, buried beneath 100 feet of ice in Greenland's vast ice sheet.
The discovery occurred in April 2024 when NASA scientist Chad Greene, aboard a Gulfstream III aircraft, captured radar images revealing the base's structural elements. NASA cryospheric scientist Alex Gardner and his team initially struggled to identify the mysterious structures that appeared in their data while mapping Greenland's ice using advanced radar technology.
Uncovering Project Iceworm's Nuclear Ambitions
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed Camp Century in 1959, creating an elaborate network of 21 underground tunnels stretching across 9,800 feet. This engineering marvel housed 200 soldiers who endured extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping to -70°F and winds reaching speeds of 120 mph.
While officially presented as a research facility, the base served a more clandestine purpose as part of "Project Iceworm." This classified military initiative aimed to establish a network of nuclear missile launch sites beneath Greenland's ice sheet, positioned strategically for potential strikes against the Soviet Union.
The harsh realities of Greenland's unstable ice conditions ultimately proved insurmountable, leading to the base's decommission in 1967. The closure left behind significant environmental concerns, including 47,000 gallons of radioactive waste and various hazardous materials that remain entombed in the ice.
Advanced Technology Reveals Historical Details
NASA's recent survey employed the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), providing unprecedented views of Camp Century's layout. As explained by Chad Greene:
We were looking for the bed of the ice and out pops Camp Century. We didn't know what it was at first.
The base's infrastructure included the PM-2A, one of the earliest portable nuclear reactors, which provided power for the facility. The UAVSAR technology, operating similarly to lidar but using radio waves instead of laser light, penetrated the dense ice to create detailed images of the buried structures.
Environmental Legacy and Scientific Contributions
Despite its military origins, Camp Century has made unexpected contributions to scientific research. Soil cores extracted during its operational period have proven invaluable for understanding Earth's ancient climate, revealing that Greenland once supported diverse ecosystems, including forests and wildlife such as mastodons.
The base's current state raises environmental concerns as Greenland's ice continues to melt. Scientists worry about the potential exposure of buried radioactive and biological waste materials, which could have serious environmental implications.
The preserved state of Camp Century serves as both a scientific resource and a cautionary tale about the long-term consequences of military activities in sensitive environments. While the base's original mission may have failed, its discovery provides valuable insights into Cold War history and engineering capabilities of the era.
Frozen History Emerges From The Ice
The discovery of Camp Century, located 100 feet beneath Greenland's ice sheet, occurred during NASA's April 2024 aerial survey mission. The former U.S. military installation, built in 1959 and abandoned in 1967, was part of a classified Cold War initiative called Project Iceworm.
The base's rediscovery has sparked renewed interest in both its historical significance and environmental implications, as concerns grow about the potential exposure of buried hazardous materials due to ice melting. The site continues to provide valuable scientific data while serving as a reminder of the Cold War's lasting impact on the Arctic landscape.
