Uncovering the Secrets of a Frozen Cold War Base
Deep within the Arctic ice sheet, a team of NASA scientists stumbled upon an unexpected discovery while conducting a climate study. Using advanced radar technology, they uncovered the remnants of a secret Cold War base, known as Camp Century, which had been abandoned and hidden beneath the ice for decades.
A Hidden Underground Bunker
Camp Century was a US military base built within the ice sheet of Greenland in the late 1950s. The base was designed to test the feasibility of launching nuclear missiles from the Arctic and was equipped with a network of tunnels and facilities to support this mission. However, the project was eventually scrapped in 1967, and the base was left to the harsh Arctic environment.
An Unexpected Discovery
The discovery of Camp Century was a surprise finding for the NASA team, who were testing a new radar system designed for unmanned aerial vehicles. The team was studying the effects of climate change in the Arctic when they stumbled upon the hidden base. The radar system, known as synthetic aperture radar, was able to penetrate the ice and reveal the base’s structure.
A Buried Legacy
Today, Camp Century lies buried under at least 30 meters of ice, with an additional 21 meters of snow and ice accumulated since its abandonment. The base’s nuclear reactor has left behind a legacy of hazardous chemical and radioactive waste, which may one day be exposed as the ice sheet melts. Scientists are using maps to estimate when the camp could be exposed again, a process that is being accelerated by climate change.
A Future Exposure
The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate, with Greenland losing around 270 billion tonnes of sea ice each year. As the planet warms, the ice covering Camp Century may become vulnerable in the coming centuries. While it is uncertain how quickly this will happen, scientists are warning that the base’s structures and hazardous waste may not remain buried forever.