Barnes Ice Cap

The Barnes Ice Cap is a vast sheet of compressed snow and ancient ice located in central Baffin Island. Its surface displays deep crevasses and irregular terrain shaped by the movement and melting of glacial ice.

The ice cap formed roughly 20,000 years ago as a remnant of the Laurentide Ice Sheet that blanketed much of North America during the last glacial period. It has continued to transform as climate conditions shifted over millennia.

Scientists and researchers from multiple institutions monitor the Barnes Ice Cap to study Arctic climate patterns and environmental changes in northern Canada.

Access to this remote ice cap requires specialized equipment and expert guides due to extreme Arctic conditions. Visitors should prepare for powerful winds, severe cold, and intense sun exposure at high altitude.

The ice contains trapped air bubbles and dust particles from different climate periods, preserving evidence of atmospheric composition across millennia. This frozen archive holds physical records of climate shifts long before humans began recording measurements.

Location: Nunavut

GPS coordinates: 70.00000,-73.50000

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:03