Chapter 10 used to be about the Dorset Culture and a tent ring from that period. New investigations on the site has shown, that it was not an ancient monument. There fore we have changed the chapter into the theme: Climate change.
Climate Change
We get a lot of interest from the outside world – from journalists, authors, filmmakers, and curious visitors – all coming to Ilulissat to witness climate change with their own eyes.
And we don’t want to disappoint you, but the thing is – the word change itself suggests something that happens over time. It’s a movement from one state to another.
That’s also true for the signs that tell us climate change is happening. Sea levels, temperatures, the spread of winter sea ice, glacier movements, thawing permafrost, and the size of icebergs – these are all factors that only make sense when observed over time.
So when you visit us here, what you see is just a snapshot – a moment in time. That moment alone doesn’t prove that climate change is happening.
Still, there are some things I’d like to share with you – because here, where we live close to nature, we’ve noticed some clear changes. Especially when it comes to permafrost, winter ice, and the size of the icebergs.
If you had stood here, at the mouth of the Icefjord, thirty years ago, you would have seen something quite different. Back then, the fjord was filled with much larger and taller icebergs. That’s because the front of the glacier used to float on the surface of the sea, deep inside the fjord.
Today, it rests on bedrock instead – yes, that bedrock is still hundreds of meters below sea level, but the fact that the glacier front is now supported by rock instead of floating on water makes a big difference in how the ice breaks off.
In the past, large pieces of ice could break off quietly – huge slabs of ice calving from the floating glacier front and drifting out through the fjord. These days, the ice tends to break off in smaller pieces. That’s because the glacier has retreated several kilometers and now rests on solid ground.
This retreat is part of a process that started about 170 years ago – but it has accelerated since the year 2000. In some summers, the glacier has pulled back 6 or 7 kilometers in just a single season.
If we look out over Disko Bay, we can see another major change: the bay no longer freezes over in winter.
That open water means fishing can now happen all year round – from both dinghies and larger boats.
But deeper inside the Icefjord, the winter sea ice still forms, and there’s intense fishing for Greenland halibut – down at depths of 500 to 800 meters.
The fact that Disko Bay no longer freezes with solid winter ice has had a big impact on hunters and fishermen.
One hunter described it very clearly when he said, “It’s like a bridge has collapsed – and without that bridge, we can no longer reach the hunting grounds our families have used for generations.”
So yes, climate change is having a big impact on traditional hunting and fishing here.
But as is typical of Greenlandic culture, people have always adapted to the changing forces of nature and climate.
You can also see signs of climate change right here in the town of Ilulissat.
Take a look at the roads, for example – on some of them, you’ll see big bumps and uneven surfaces. And behind the town museum, there’s a little shed leaning over dangerously.
That’s because the permafrost in the ground is starting to thaw. And when the ground loses its frozen stability, it sinks or shifts – causing problems for buildings and infrastructure.
That’s why, when new buildings go up, a lot of effort is now put into digging all the way down to solid rock and building the foundations from there.
But it doesn’t stop there.
The thawing permafrost also affects the cultural heritage in this area – especially at Sermermiut and another historic site further into the Icefjord, called Qajaa.
At both places, frozen soil layers have preserved important archaeological remains for up to 4,000 years – things like skin clothing, tools, and wood.
But as the permafrost disappears, those materials start to break down.
At the same time, erosion increases along the slopes – and over time, we may find ourselves watching helplessly as house ruins and traces of past settlements are washed into the sea.
It’s a natural process, yes – but it’s been speeding up dramatically over the past few decades due to the warming climate.
So climate change isn’t always something you can see at first glance.
But if you know the story of the landscape – and listen to the stories people tell here – then you start to understand how the world around us is changing, right now.