Environment & Climate
Large ice island from Greenland's Petermann Glacier survives collision with rocky outcrop
A 76-square-kilometer iceberg intact after hitting Joe Island drifts southwest into Nares Strait.
The short version
- A 76-square-kilometer ice island calved from northwestern Greenland's Petermann Glacier in early August 2026, marking the Arctic's largest calving event since 2020.
- The iceberg collided with Joe Island on August 23 and 24, 2026, but survived without fracturing before pivoting into Nares Strait.
- Glaciologists expect the drifting ice island to eventually break into smaller pieces as wind, tides, currents, and melting weaken it.
- Two large remaining rifts in Petermann Glacier are anticipated to eventually release additional ice islands.
Key facts
- The 76-square-kilometer ice island calved from the Petermann Glacier and was first spotted in Sentinel-1 satellite imagery on August 4, 2026.[NASA News]
- This event was the largest calving by any Arctic glacier since 2020.[NASA News]
- The iceberg drifted at an average speed of 3 kilometers per day down Petermann Fjord before reaching Nares Strait.[NASA News]
- The ice island collided with Joe Island on August 23 and 24, 2026, without fracturing, before continuing southwest into Nares Strait.[NASA News]
- The ice island was estimated to be less than 150 meters thick when it calved.[NASA News]
What remains uncertain
- The exact timing of when two remaining rifts on Petermann's ice tongue will cut across and release new ice islands remains uncertain.[NASA News]