NASA scientists have uncovered the long-hidden Camp Century, a Cold War-era nuclear base buried beneath Greenland’s ice sheet.

Advanced radar imaging took photos in April 2024 during a flight over northern Greenland aboard NASA’s Gulfstream III jet. The images reveal remnants of a “city” constructed beneath the ice.

The effort was code-named Project Iceworm.

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Origins of Camp Century

Camp Century was established in 1959 by the US military as part of the covert Project Iceworm. It was built by cutting nearly two miles of a complex web of tunnels into the near-surface ice. 

Designed to accommodate between 80 and 200 personnel, including scientists, the facility was decommissioned in 1967 due to ice instability. 

Despite its closure, approximately 9,200 tons of chemical waste remain buried beneath the ice.

Secrets of Project Iceworm

The true purpose of Project Iceworm was kept “Top Secret” by the US. 

At the time of its construction, Camp Century featured the world’s first mobile nuclear generator.

The US government aimed to use the base as a launch site for 600 nuclear missiles, targeting the Soviet Union via a two-mile network of ice tunnels. 

Denmark - which owned the site at the time - was not informed of what was happening at the facility.

No one knew Camp Century was a nuclear armed facility.

Even Denmark, which owned the site was unaware of these plans.

A Hazardous Legacy

Today the long-abandoned Camp Century still poses an environmental threat.

Research indicates that “tons” of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), known carcinogens, are trapped within the ice. 

A 2016 study published in Geophysical Research Letters warns that global warming could melt the ice within 75 years, releasing these hazardous substances into the surrounding waters.

This potential environmental disaster presents a complex issue for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States. 

The Pentagon has stated its commitment to working with Danish and local authorities to address security and environmental concerns.