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New Study: Greenland Was 3-7°C Warmer and Far Less Glaciated Than Today 6000-8000 Years Ago

A close-up view of a glacier with blue ice formations, surrounded by rocky terrain and some vegetation in the foreground.

From No Trick Zone

By Kenneth Richard

A panoramic view of a glacier descending from the mountains, with rugged terrain and a river at its base, under partly cloudy skies.

A large portion of the Greenland ice sheet that is today over 500 m thick did not exist during the Early to Mid Holocene.

Prudhoe Dome (PD), a 2500 km² section of northwestern Greenland’s ice sheet (GIS), is today 500 to 600 m thick (Walcott-George et al., 2026).

Approximately 6000-8000 years ago, or when atmospheric CO2 was alleged to be ~260 ppm, PD had deglaciated completely, exposing the soil to sunlight.

The primary mechanism for the PD deglaciation was the estimated 3-7°C warmer-than-present regional temperatures. This warming and the consequent ice cap minima was said to be  “Arctic-wide”.

Starting ~4000 years ago the GIS gradually began thickening until it recently reached its modern glaciated state, with glaciation peaking in the 1800s.

Scientific article discussing the deglaciation of the Prudhoe Dome in northwestern Greenland in response to Holocene warming, featuring maps, graphs, and data on ice cap regrowth and historical climate conditions.
Image Source: Walcott-George et al., 2026

Aerial view of a large glacier with ice formations and a turquoise glacial lake surrounded by rocky terrain and mountains under a cloudy sky.

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