Unveiling the Mystery of the Ghostly Figure in Greenland’s Ice Cap
In a remote corner of northeast Greenland lies the Flade Isblink ice cap, a vast expanse of frozen terrain that stretches over 3,300 square miles. It was here that scientists made a startling discovery 13 years ago, when satellite images revealed the presence of a ghostly figure etched into the snow-covered surface.
The mysterious apparition, which resembled a shapeless figure waving up at space, was caused by a depression in the ice cap that formed when an underground lake collapsed. This eerie spectacle, dubbed “the mitten” due to its glove-like shape, measured approximately 2 miles in length and over 1 mile in width at its widest point. The depression plunged to a depth of 230 feet when it first appeared in August 2011, hidden from view by cloud cover until early September of that year.
A 2015 study shed light on the origins of this enigmatic feature, revealing that the depression formed when a subglacial lake rapidly drained, leaving behind an underground cavern that collapsed under the weight of the ice above. During the peak of the draining event, an estimated 7,600 cubic feet of water escaped the lake every second, marking a rare occurrence in Greenland’s icy landscape.
Subsequent research in 2022 documented the slow refilling of the subglacial lake since 2012, with the depression’s floor rising by 180 feet by 2021 despite a smaller draining event in 2019. While scientists initially attributed the refilling to surface meltwater seeping into the lake, further calculations indicated that only 65% of the water could be accounted for by this source, hinting at an unknown water supply.
The rapid drainage of the subglacial lake in 2011 remains a puzzle, with researchers speculating that human-induced climate change may have played a role in triggering the collapse. Similar collapses have been observed in Antarctica in recent years, raising concerns about the potential impact on ice loss in the region.
As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries hidden beneath Greenland’s icy surface, the ghostly figure of “the mitten” serves as a haunting reminder of the dynamic forces at work in our changing climate.