Scientists watched a 1km-wide, 100m-thick section of Greenland’s Sorgenfri glacier break away

A scientist on board captured the moment the glacier crashed into the ocean. Credit: Alice Fremand Scientists aboard Britain's flagship polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough, watched an estimated 18 million metric tonnes of ice crash into the ocean when a massive section of Greenland’s Sorgenfri glacier broke away in a single evening event.The ice wall measured one kilometre wide and averaged 100 metres thick. According to a news story released on 3 August 2026 by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the crew and researchers captured footage of the collapse near the head of 3-miippugut Fjord, north of Kangerlussuaq Fjord in East Greenland.Captain Matt Neill, Master of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, described the manoeuvre needed to keep the ship clear of the sudden wave caused by the collapse.“At the time of calving, our ship was more than a kilometre away from the front of the glacier,” said Captain Neill. “Both the ship and our crew are well prepared to respond to events like this. As we saw the calving begin, we were able to quickly turn the ship into the safest position. It was incredible to see such a volume of ice shifting, and a reminder of the importance of the ...