PREVIEW

BY MARK WORGAN

British scientists and crew aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough have captured spectacular footage of a huge glacier calving event in East Greenland earlier this month (August2026).

The research vessel is taking part in the GIANT science expedition, which is investigating how Greenland's glaciers interact with a warming ocean.

Scientists hope the work will improve understanding of processes including melting and calving, which are not currently well represented in climate simulations.

The team was working near Sorgenfri Gletsjer, at the head of 3-miippugut Fjord, north of Kangerlussuaq Fjord, when a large section of the glacier broke away as evening fell.

The section measured about 1km across the glacier face and had an average thickness of 100m, with an estimated mass of 18 million tonnes.

While Greenland's ice sheet is losing mass at record rates, scientists said glacier calving was a normal part of the natural fluctuation and balance of glaciers that terminate in the ocean, particularly during the summer - albeit one observers are rarely there to see.

Captain Matt Neill, master of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, said: “At the time of calving, our ship was more than a kilometre away from the front of the glacier. Both the ship and our crew are well prepared to respond to events like this. As we saw the calving begin, 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 work we’re here to do.”

The RRS Sir David Attenborough is an icebreaker-class research vessel more commonly seen near Antarctica, where it operates in sea ice and around the vast tabular icebergs typical of the frozen continent.

The ship is designed to operate in extreme and rapidly changing conditions, with its crew experienced in sailing and navigating in polar regions.

The dramatic event has also highlighted why the expedition is using a fleet of specialist autonomous vehicles to collect data close to the glacier's ice face.

The equipment includes Gavia and EcoSubs, a family of robots designed to swim in coordination with one another and dive hundreds of metres below the surface to gather data close to the glacial ice face.

The expedition is also using Autosub Long Range, the autonomous underwater vehicle more widely known as Boaty McBoatface, as well as DriX and Meltstake.

Together, the vehicles are intended to collect critical data where the glacier meets the ocean – an area too dangerous for scientists and crew to access directly.