Petermann Glacier, NW Greenland Releases Massive Iceberg in August 2026.

Petermann Glacier in Landsat images from July 21st and Aug. 13 2026. Indicating the rift that leads to iceberg calving of berg A-yellow arrows. Additional significant rifting inidicated by red arrows. Berg B is not a stable configuration. The Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland is significantly different than the fast flowing large outlet glaciers, such as the Jakobshavn and Helheim Glacier we here so much about. Petermann Glacier is much thinner at the calving front and moves much slower. The volume flux from this glacier is much less than Jakobshavn which loses 40 km3 per year, versus 1 km3 at the calving front of Peteramann and 12 km3 at the grounding line. A detailed review of some of the differences is explored in an article I wrote for Realclimate in 2008. In 2008 Petermann Glacier lost a substantial area, 29 km2 due to calving. Additional large calving events in 2010 and 2012 followed. This summer the rifts that have been evident for some time cutting across the glacier…