Greenland is the largest island on Earth and a true geographical paradox. It physically resides in North America, politically belongs to Europe, is washed by both the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, and in size almost approaches an entire continent. Over two million square kilometers, thousands of kilometers of expanse, and the status of an island, not a mainland. What else distinguishes this huge landmass from everything else?
This is how Greenland appears from space. Image source: wikimedia.org
Contents
- Greenland — Planet’s Storeroom Under the Ice
- Rarest Elements for Future Technologies
- Oil and Gas the Size of an Energy Powerhouse
- Geology Unmatched Anywhere Else
- Oldest Rocks and Strange Finds
- Ice That Conceals More Than It Shows
- Greenland’s Climatic Paradox
- Why Greenland Is a Headache for the Entire World
Greenland — Planet’s Storeroom Under the Ice
Greenland differs from everything else on Earth because beneath its ice sheets lie some of the richest reserves of natural resources globally.
It holds everything humanity seeks today: oil, gas, metals, and rare-earth elements vital for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and modern batteries. The issue is that the majority of these treasures lie deep beneath the ice, which blankets approximately 80% of the island.
Rarest Elements for Future Technologies
Greenland’s rare-earth elements are almost a geological sensation. Beneath the ice lie vast deposits of neodymium and dysprosium, key materials for electric motors, wind turbines, and powerful magnets.
Scientists estimate these reserves could suffice for more than a quarter of the entire future global requirement. We are talking about tens of millions of tons, making Greenland a potential number-one player in the rare-earth element market.
Greenland is rich in rare-earth elements. Image source: thoughtco.com
Oil and Gas the Size of an Energy Powerhouse
According to U.S. Geological Survey estimations, the northeast of Greenland may hold about 31 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This is comparable to all proven oil reserves in the United States.
Particularly promising are onshore and offshore sedimentary basins, similar in structure to Norway’s oil-bearing shelf. Currently, extraction is constrained by climate, ice, and colossal expenses, but Greenland’s potential is truly massive.
Geology Unmatched Anywhere Else
Greenland is singular because over 4 billion years, it has undergone all the major geological processes that create natural wealth.
There were mountain-building eras that yielded gold, rubies, and graphite. There were episodes of crustal stretching that gifted oil, gas, and metals. Volcanic activity left behind rare-earth elements and diamonds. Finding all this in a single location is a great rarity even by Earth’s standards.
Beerenberg—a volcano situated on the Arctic island of Jan Mayen, lying between Greenland and Norway. Image source: wikimedia.org
Oldest Rocks and Strange Finds
Greenland hosts some of the most ancient rock formations on the planet. Some of these date back over 3.5 billion years. Here, masses of natural iron the size of a truck and kimberlite pipes containing diamonds have also been discovered. Diamonds exist, but mining them is difficult due to remoteness, climate, and lack of infrastructure. Greenland knows how to safeguard its secrets.
Ice That Conceals More Than It Shows
The ice-free portion of Greenland is nearly twice the size of Great Britain, yet it constitutes less than one-fifth of the island’s total area. Everything else is ice up to several kilometers thick.
Scientists increasingly suggest that undiscovered deposits are hidden beneath it. Modern tools like ground-penetrating radar can already “glimpse” under the ice to depths of up to 2 km, but exploration proceeds slowly and at great cost.
Almost all of Greenland’s wealth lies underground. Image source: meteoweb.eu
Greenland’s Climatic Paradox
Greenland is further distinguished because its resources are becoming more accessible due to ice melt caused by global warming. Since 1995, an area the size of Albania has melted away.
This creates a strange dilemma: resources needed for green energy are becoming available precisely because of the climate change that this energy is supposed to combat.
Read also: To which continent does Greenland actually belong
Why Greenland Is a Headache for the Entire World
Resource extraction could boost global energy, but simultaneously threatens the island’s unique nature and its coastal settlements.
Currently, Greenland’s authorities strictly regulate mineral extraction, but interest from the USA and other nations is growing. And this is where Greenland again differs from the rest of the world—it is a place where the planet’s future literally rests beneath the ice.
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