NASA has rediscovered Camp Century, a secret Cold War-era military base buried 100 feet beneath Greenland’s ice. Initially constructed by the United States in 1959, the “city under the ice” was part of Project Iceworm, a covert plan to house nuclear missiles beneath the Greenland ice sheet. Designed to survive a Soviet strike, the facility included 21 tunnels spanning 9,800 feet, powered by a nuclear reactor. However, the unstable ice made the site unsuitable, leading to its abandonment in 1967.
Using radar-equipped research jets, NASA scientists recently located the base, with structures and tunnels still visible beneath 30 meters of ice. Alex Gardner, a cryospheric scientist with NASA, noted, “We didn’t know what it was at first.” Historical maps confirm the parallel structures match the original layout of Camp Century.
The site now raises environmental concerns due to nuclear waste left behind. Climate change could eventually expose the hazardous materials, posing biological and ecological risks. Chad Greene, another scientist involved in the project, emphasized that understanding the ice sheet’s dynamics is crucial for predicting sea level rise.
Camp Century remains a stark reminder of Cold War ambitions and the long-lasting consequences of such projects, now hidden beneath the shifting ice.
