Greenland's Qaanaaq Ice Cap has lost enough ice to produce a layer of water about 8 meters deep
Each summer, researchers from Hokkaido University returned to the Qaanaaq Ice Cap in northwestern Greenland to measure changes in the ice surface using aluminum poles drilled into the ice. Their 13-year record shows how the ice cap changed from 2012 to 2025.
From 2012 to 2025, the Qaanaaq Ice Cap in northwestern Greenland lost enough ice to create a layer of water about 8 meters deep if spread evenly across its surface. Researchers from Hokkaido University measured the ice cap's changes over a period of 13 years, using aluminum poles drilled into the ice at six sites between 200 and 1,000 meters above sea level.
The ice cap's surface elevation fell by an average of 8.7 meters during this time, with the greatest losses occurring at lower elevations. The study found that warmer summers and reduced snowfall were the primary drivers of this ice loss, with about half of the decline in lower areas attributed to changes in glacier movement. As the glacier slowed, less ice flowed down from higher elevations to replace the ice being lost in lower parts of the glacier.
This long-term record of ice loss in northwestern Greenland provides valuable data for future glacier research in the region. The study also highlights the importance of collaboration with local Greenlandic communities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when fieldwork was disrupted. The research team hopes that sharing their findings with local communities will help them better understand the changes and mitigate negative effects.
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