In April 2024, NASA scientists conducting an ice-mapping mission in Greenland made an astonishing discovery: the long-forgotten remains of Camp Century, a secret U.S. military base buried beneath the ice. The base, which dates back to the Cold War era, was originally concealed by the U.S. Army as part of a top-secret operation called "Project Iceworm."
Using cutting-edge radar technology on a Gulfstream III aircraft, NASA scientists captured detailed images of the hidden site. “We were looking for the bed of the ice, and out pops Camp Century,” said Alex Gardner, a cryospheric scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The radar, called Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), is capable of penetrating thick ice layers and producing high-resolution images of what lies beneath. “In the new data, individual structures in the secret city are visible in a way that they’ve never been seen before,” added Chad Greene, another NASA scientist involved in the project.
The Hidden Mission of Camp Century
Built in 1959, Camp Century was initially presented as a research facility focused on Arctic studies. However, its true purpose was far more secretive. The base served as the testing ground for Project Iceworm, a covert military initiative designed to store and potentially launch nuclear missiles from tunnels carved deep into the Greenland ice. The project aimed to provide a strategic advantage against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, with plans to construct 3,000 miles of tunnels and 2,000 missile launch sites. These missiles, dubbed "Iceman missiles," could strike up to 80% of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. However, due to the unstable and shifting ice, the project was abandoned in 1967.
Life at the base was harsh, with temperatures dropping as low as -70°F (-57°C) and winds gusting over 120 mph (193 kph). The base housed between 85 and 200 soldiers and was powered by one of the first portable nuclear reactors, the PM-2A. Camp Century spanned 21 tunnels, covering nearly 10,000 feet.
Environmental Risks and Abandonment
After its closure in 1967, the U.S. military removed the nuclear reactor but left behind hazardous materials, including 53,000 gallons of diesel fuel, radioactive coolant, and biological waste. These substances remain buried beneath the ice, posing a long-term environmental threat. A study by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) warned that climate change could lead to the ice melting by 2090, potentially exposing the buried waste. "When we looked at the climate simulations, they suggested that rather than perpetual snowfall, it seems that as early as 2090, the site could transition from net snowfall to net melt," said William Colgan, a glaciologist at York University and co-author of the study. Once the site transitions from net snowfall to net melt, the release of waste would be irreversible.
An estimated 136 acres of waste, including low-level radioactive materials and wastewater, are still trapped under the ice. As global warming accelerates, the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet could soon bring these hazardous materials to the surface, threatening both the environment and local ecosystems.
Scientific and Historical Value
While its military role has long been kept secret, Camp Century also contributed to scientific advancements. During its operation, ice cores were extracted, offering invaluable information about Earth's ancient climate. The findings revealed that Greenland was once home to lush forests and diverse wildlife.
The rediscovery of Camp Century not only sheds light on Cold War history but also serves as a reminder of the lasting impacts of military operations on the environment. Initially kept secret from Denmark, the sovereign nation of Greenland, the true purpose of Project Iceworm was only revealed to the public in 1997.
A Monument to Cold War Ambitions
Camp Century now stands as a frozen reminder of Cold War ingenuity and the unintended consequences of past military projects. As scientists continue to study Greenland’s ice sheet, the base serves as both a historical artifact and a cautionary tale, highlighting the environmental risks associated with secret military operations.
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