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Climate Scientists Found A Surprise Hiding Under A Cold War Military Base
SlashGear • • science
Key Points:
- During the Cold War, the U.S. built Camp Century in Greenland, which secretly housed nuclear weapon launch sites beneath the ice as part of Project Iceworm, though these were never used.
- Sediment samples extracted from nearly a mile beneath Greenland's ice sheet revealed that around 416,000 years ago, the area was ice-free and supported tundra vegetation, providing valuable data on Earth's ancient climate.
- The samples indicate that moderate global warming during Marine Isotope Stage 11 caused significant melting of Greenland's ice sheet, leading to a global sea level rise of at least 5 feet.
- This historical melting was driven in part by increased atmospheric CO2 levels, demonstrating that even moderate temperature rises can drastically impact ice sheets and contribute to long-term interglacial periods.
- Understanding Greenland's past ice sheet responses to climate change helps scientists predict future impacts of rising CO2 levels on sea levels and coastal cities worldwide.
