NASA researchers made a surprising discovery during an exploration beneath Greenland’s ice sheet. While searching for the ice sheet’s base, scientist Chad Greene unexpectedly uncovered a hidden US Army base known as Camp Century, dating back 65 years to the Cold War era. The underground facility, often referred to as “the city under ice,” was meticulously constructed between 1959 and 1960, consisting of 21 interconnected tunnels spanning approximately 9,800 feet.
The radar imagery captured by Chad’s team from a Gulfstream III aircraft showcased the distinctive structures of the base buried beneath the ice. Alex Gardner, a cryospheric scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who was part of the project, expressed initial surprise at stumbling upon Camp Century, emphasizing the team’s primary aim of locating the ice bed.
Utilizing an Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), NASA experts unveiled the concealed base, employing radar technology commonly used worldwide for discovering hidden structures and archaeological sites. Camp Century’s establishment stemmed from the Defense of Greenland agreement signed by the United States and Denmark in 1951, enabling NATO forces to utilize Greenland’s facilities for defense purposes.
The base, built with 6,000 tons of materials transported through an extensive 70-hour sled journey, initially featured 1,000-foot passageways nicknamed ‘Main Street’ carved into the snow and ice. Subsequent additions included wooden buildings with steel roofs and the installation of a PM-2 medium-power nuclear reactor, powering the site.
While scientists at Camp Century conducted geological studies, including analyzing ice cores and soil to uncover Greenland’s ancient history, speculations arose regarding the base’s true motive. Allegedly acting as a cover for Project Iceworm, a US nuclear weapon initiative, the camp was purportedly used to house ballistic missiles beneath the Greenland ice.
Projected expansions of Camp Century for housing 600 missiles were never realized, leading to the base’s decommissioning in 1967. The revelation of the nuclear weapon plan by Danish authorities in 1997 marked the end of Camp Century’s operational life. Despite efforts to remove the reactor, the site left behind a substantial 47,000 gallons of nuclear waste as it awaited engulfment by the ice.
Climate and glacier scientist William Colgan from York University in Toronto predicted that Camp Century’s exposure, due to climate change effects, could occur by 2090. The abandoned base, once shrouded in secrecy, now stands as a testament to past military endeavors hidden beneath Greenland’s icy expanse.
