An international research team reported that Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland calved a 76.4 km² ice island on 4 August 2026. This marked the glacier’s largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the largest Arctic calving event since 2020, according to the report.
Petermann Glacier is a large glacier located in northwestern Greenland, to the east of the Nares Strait. It is one of the major glaciers connecting the Greenland Ice Sheet with the Arctic Ocean.
The Nares Strait is a narrow sea passage between Greenland and Ellesmere Island of Canada in the far northern Arctic. It connects the waters of the Arctic Ocean with Baffin Bay.
The glacier and its fjord are named after the German cartographer August Heinrich Petermann. Petermann Glacier covers approximately 1,295 square kilometres.
Ice calving refers to the process by which large pieces of ice break away from a glacier and enter the ocean. Like many glaciers that discharge ice into the sea, Petermann Glacier periodically sheds large icebergs.
The glacier has experienced accelerated ice flow in recent years, which has contributed to increased ice discharge and changes in its floating ice shelf.
Land-based glaciers in Greenland are a major contributor to global sea-level rise. As global temperatures increase, greater amounts of ice are expected to melt and flow into the oceans.
Petermann Glacier is therefore important for understanding the relationship between Arctic warming, glacier dynamics and sea-level rise.
Scientists have estimated that the complete collapse of Petermann Glacier could contribute approximately 30 centimetres to global sea-level rise. This figure represents a potential long-term contribution associated with the glacier’s ice drainage basin, rather than an immediate rise in sea level from a single calving event.
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