Review of Greenland’s thermal springs
New publication by Eva B. Nielsen, William Colgan, Majken D. Poulsen et al.
Abstract:
Thermal springs are rare but diverse features of Greenland’s ice-free margins, with observed temperatures ranging from near freezing to over 60°C. Greenland’s thermal springs host distinctive biological communities, from thermophilic microbial mats to unique vascular plant assemblages, representing important Arctic biodiversity hotspots. They hold cultural, ecological and scientific importance, yet records are mostly scattered across historical literature, local knowledge and isolated field reports. Here, we present the first comprehensive review and quality-controlled geodatabase of Greenland’s thermal springs, compiled from more than a century of scientific and historical sources, botanical surveys, Greenlandic place names, satellite imagery and field observations. The present database contains entries for 382 individual spring localities, providing names, coordinates, geological setting, thermal characteristics and metadata on source reliability. We describe their geographic distribution, geological setting and possible heat sources, which include radiogenic decay, residual magmatic heat and exothermic chemical weathering. Besides a lack of recent visits and photo documentation of many thermal springs, this synthesis highlights substantial gaps in temperature, chemistry and discharge measurements, underlining the need for systematic sampling and community-based monitoring. The open access database offers a foundation for future interdisciplinary research, supports conservation planning and provides a baseline for assessing climate-driven changes in Greenland’s geothermal systems.