16 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Greenland - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Greenland

Ikateq, Greenland

Bluie East Two

A surprisingly beautiful abandoned World War II military base in East Greenland.

The Oldest Chunk of Rock in the World

The 3.8 billion-year-old rock proves that tectonic plates may have been shifting longer than we thought.

The Flowers of Kaffeklubben Island

The world's northernmost flowers cling tenuously to life on desolate Kaffeklubben Island.

Tasiilaq, Greenland

Kulusuk

Small Island off the coast of Greenland.

Camp Century (Project Iceworm)

A Cold War atomic camp buried under the ice is now emerging because of global warming.

Nuuk, Greenland

Qilakitsoq Mummies

These eight mummies are the best-preserved human remains ever discovered in North America.

Summit Camp

This remote research station sits amid the second-largest ice sheet on the planet.

Narsarsuaq, Greenland

Arboretum Groenlandicum

An experimental forest at the foreground of arboreal science is also the canary in the coal mine for climate change.

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Bluie East Two	4 January 10, 2020	1241	January 10, 2020
Camp Century (Project Iceworm)	1 January 29, 2020	1274	January 29, 2020

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Stories About Greenland

A satellite image from March 7, 2022, shows swirls of sea ice that resemble smoke—or a spectral apparition—against the deep blue North Atlantic.

The Wild and Wonderful Whorls of Brash Ice

Wandering currents and spring thaws make sea ice in East Greenland look like curls of smoke.

by Gemma Tarlach

Researchers took samples from the new island during a July 2020 expedition.

The Northernmost Island in the World Was Just Discovered by Accident

It remains to be seen whether it will stick around.

September 8, 2021

Part of a portable nuclear power plant arrives at Camp Century in 1960.

The U.S. Army Tried Portable Nuclear Power at Remote Bases 60 Years Ago

It didn't go well.

by Paul Bierman

August 30, 2021

Greenland sharks often end up as bycatch on fishing vessels, and can be considered a nuisance.

What Does It Mean That Greenland Sharks Could Live for Hundreds of Years?

A languid fish has a story to tell about longevity, lifestyle, and loss.

by Jonathan Moens

August 27, 2021

In a satellite image of the Greenland Ice Sheet's southwestern corner, captured on August 21, 2021, pale blue meltwater streams across ice or collects in slushy depressions. The deeper blue areas are meltwater lakes with depths up to about 30 feet.

Ghostly Satellite Image Captures the Arctic ‘Losing Its Soul’

In the aftermath of an extreme melt event, what do scientists see in the Greenland Ice Sheet’s swirls of white, blue, and ominous gray?

by Gemma Tarlach

August 27, 2021

A scientist searches for tell-tale zircons in Western Greenland.

When Is a Crater Not a Crater?

There's no punchline, this massive geological structure in Greenland just probably isn't a crater.

by Robin George Andrews

Camp Century staff, seen here in 1960, excavated tunnels about 25 feet below the ice sheet's surface before abandoning the project

How a Secret Cold War Project Led to Signs of Ancient Life—and a New Warning About the Future

Researchers found fossils in a forgotten ice core that rewrite Greenland’s icy past.

by Gemma Tarlach

The black material found on the final page of Brønlund's diary.

A Mysterious Black Spot Offers Clues to a Doomed Explorer's Last Moments

Jørgen Brønlund's diary contained information that wasn't written on the page.

December 18, 2020

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