Buried Lake Erupts Under Greenland’s Ice, Unleashing A Colossal Crater

A hidden lake beneath Greenland’s Harder Glacier unexpectedly erupted, unleashing a powerful surge of water that carved a massive crater in the ice. The dramatic event caught researchers off guard, as water surged upward through thick ice, creating a profound impact on the glacier. Over just ten days, the lake released 23.8 billion gallons (90 million cubic meters) of water, equivalent to nine hours of Niagara Falls’ full-force flow.

A Violent Flood Carves a Crater

As the flood erupted, it shattered the ice, leaving behind a massive 270-foot (85-meter) deep crater stretching across nearly two square kilometers of ice. This sudden explosion wasn’t just a surface event; it had far-reaching effects. The surrounding area was transformed into a chaotic scene with deep cracks, and towering ice blocks—some as high as five stories—were torn from their positions. The flood scoured through about 2.3 square miles of the ice sheet, an area double the size of New York’s Central Park.

Dr. Jade Bowling, a researcher from Lancaster University who led the study, recalled her initial reaction to the data: “When we first saw this, because it was so unexpected, we thought there was an issue with our data. However, as we went deeper into our analysis, it became clear that what we were observing was the aftermath of a huge flood of water escaping from underneath the ice.” The study was published in Nature Geoscience and sheds light on the complexity of Greenland’s subglacial environments.

Water Forced Through Solid Ice

Traditionally, scientists have believed that meltwater flows downward from the surface of glaciers to the bottom of the ice sheet. However, this eruption overturned that theory. Water surged upward through the frozen layers, bursting through solid ice. This unexpected movement of water was not something that had been predicted in climate models.

Furthermore, the location of the lake burst puzzled scientists. Models had suggested that the ice bed should have been frozen solid, but the lake still drained. Researchers believe that the water pressure might have cracked the ice bed itself, creating a path for the water to force its way to the surface.

Dr. Bowling emphasized the significance of the discovery, noting, “The existence of subglacial lakes beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet is still a relatively recent discovery, and as our study shows, there is still much we don’t know about how they evolve and how they can impact the ice sheet system.”

Satellite Technology Tracks Greenland’s Melting Ice

To monitor the event, the research team turned to satellite technology, a critical tool for understanding such large-scale processes. By using high-resolution 3D maps from the ArcticDEM project, alongside data from ESA’s CryoSat, Sentinel satellites, and NASA’s ICESat-2, they were able to observe the changes on the ice sheet from space. Without this satellite data, it would have been impossible to detect the event in such a remote region.

Professor Mal McMillan, an expert in polar ice research, highlighted the importance of satellite technology, saying, “Satellites represent an essential tool for monitoring the impacts of climate change, and provide critical information to build realistic models of how our planet may change in the future.”

The Need for Better Climate Models

The eruption of this hidden lake challenges the existing climate models used to predict the behavior of ice sheets. Researchers did not expect such dramatic behavior—water moving upward, ice cracking unexpectedly, and the massive release of meltwater. Dr. Amber Leeson, a co-author of the study, warned that as surface melt increases with global warming, more subglacial lakes could form, putting pressure on the ice and creating similar explosive events.

“Given the control that subglacial hydrology has on the dynamics of the ice sheet, it is critical that we continue to improve our understanding of these hidden, and poorly understood, hydrological processes,” Dr. Leeson explained.

The study was a collaborative effort between scientists from the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., with support from the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council, ESA, and UKRI. As Diego Fernandez of the European Space Agency (ESA) remarked, “This result adds to the body of knowledge we are establishing through the ESA Polar Science Cluster on how the Arctic is changing in response to increased warming.”

Gaining insight into the Arctic’s changing hydrology is essential for predicting how Greenland’s ice sheet will affect global sea levels in the years to come.