Greenland oil spill crisis: Tanker sinks near Nanortalik
On Thursday morning near the town of Nanortalik in southern Greenland, a 98-foot ship sank, reported the newspaper "Sermitsiaq." The vessel's tanks contained approximately 3,962-5,283 gallons of diesel oil and 264 gallons of engine oil. To prevent the spill from spreading, the authorities set up protective barriers.
Local media reported that Greenland police received a report of the ship's collision with a reef at 3 AM ET. The crew members—four people—were evacuated by the authorities before the tanker sank, which occurred a few minutes after 7 AM ET.
The fire department is actively working at the scene to remove the oil spill. "In a circle with a diameter of about 164 feet around the sunken ship, a floating barrier has been set up to prevent contamination. The floating barrier also extends about 20 inches underwater," reads the police press release.
According to the police, the tanker was heading to Qaqortoq when it collided with the reef at 1:45 AM ET, causing the vessel to start taking on water.
Unidentified seismic object in Greenland. Scientists solve the mystery
In recent days, the media has also reported on an unidentified seismic object in Greenland.
Scientists decided to investigate the origin of the seismic signal from Greenland, which was detected by sensors worldwide in September last year. The results of the investigation were published in the journal "Science." An international team of scientists, as well as the Danish navy, were involved in the inquiry.
When colleagues first spotted this signal last year, it looked nothing like an earthquake. We called it an ‘unidentified seismic object,' recalls Dr. Stephen Hicks from University College London, one of the scientists involved in the project, quoted by the BBC.
Scientists who examined the phenomenon determined that 32.7 million cubic yards of rock fell into the water, a volume equivalent to 25 Empire State Buildings. This triggered a "mega-tsunami" with a height of 656 feet.
Satellite images showed a dust cloud in the fjord. Scientists' research revealed that a mountain collapsed and swept part of a glacier into the water.
Global climate warming, which melts glaciers, including those in Greenland, was to blame.
This glacier supported the mountain. It became so thin that it just stopped supporting it. This shows how climate change currently affects these areas, concluded Dr. Hicks.
