Researchers from the University of York in Canada have found that global warming could lead to the release of nuclear waste buried in Greenland glaciers. It turned out that the melting of ice facilitates the emergence of the Camp Century military base buried under a thick layer of snow. An article by scientists was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Camp Century was built as part of the secret American Project Iceworm. It was planned to build a system of tunnels in the Greenland ice sheet and place several hundred nuclear missiles in it. However, the project was soon closed, the military base was decommissioned, and its infrastructure and waste, including radioactive and chemical substances, remained buried under the ice. However, the study showed that global warming could cause some of the ice sheet surrounding Camp Century to melt.
North gate at Camp Century
Photo: US Army
Scientists analyzed military documents and found that about 200 thousand liters of diesel fuel and 240 thousand liters of sewage were stored at the base. The latter may contain polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as radioactive coolant from a nuclear generator that supplied Camp Century with electricity. According to the researchers, these wastes pose a threat to the environment, as they can enter the ocean and affect marine ecosystems. Climate change simulations indicate that intense glacier melting will begin around 2090.