What’s Hiding Under Greenland’s Ice?
A secret that could turn the island into one of the world’s richest countries
Greenland is the largest island in the world and home to around 56,000 people. But it’s also home to something else; a large body of ice. 80% of the country is covered by a giant ice sheet, second only to Antarctica. For centuries, scientists have been fascinated by what lies beneath Greenland’s ice, but with an average thickness of over 1.5km, its secrets have remained a mystery.
But thanks to global warming, the scramble for Greenland’s treasures has already begun.
Much of Greenland is Actually Below Sea Level
Although Greenland is on the same latitude as some of the coldest cities in the world, the temperatures on its southern tip are, in fact, relatively mild, even in winter.
That’s all thanks to the Gulf Stream, the natural currents that send warmer temperatures toward Europe. But the Gulf Stream is sensitive to climate change, and for a fragile ecosystem like Greenland, that can mean trouble.
But it's the interior of Greenland that is interesting. Surrounded by mountains on all sides and covered in ice that’s compressed over millions of years, its lowest point is, in fact, 1,000 metres below…
