Arctic Earthquake Buries Jan Mayen Glacier
A 2025 earthquake caused a rock avalanche that covered half of Kjerulf Glacier on Jan Mayen Island.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Geology
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On March 10, 2025, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in the Arctic Ocean triggered a massive rock avalanche on Jan Mayen Island. The event resulted in 30% to 50% of the Kjerulf Glacier being buried under approximately 1 million cubic meters of rock.
Why it matters
The collapse highlights how degrading permafrost can weaken mountain slopes, making them increasingly vulnerable to failure during seismic activity. Researchers noted that the slope had been destabilized by smaller rockslides in the years preceding the main event.
The study utilized seismic data to track the 6.5 magnitude earthquake and documented 1,500 aftershocks occurring over three weeks. The rock mass, measuring 1 million cubic meters, originated from a slope 7 kilometers from the epicenter.
The players
Kjerulf Glacier
This glacier is located on Jan Mayen Island and was significantly buried by a massive rock avalanche in 2025.
Weyprecht Glacier
Located near Kjerulf Glacier, this ice mass experienced calving events directly following the seismic activity on the island.
The details
The rock avalanche significantly impacted the local landscape, triggering ice calving on the neighboring Weyprecht Glacier four hours after the initial slide. While the slope was already destabilized by events in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024, the intense shaking and surface displacement from the earthquake finalized the collapse.
Timeline
Smaller rockslides occurred at the site in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake and rock avalanche occurred on 10 March 2025.
Over 1,500 aftershocks impacted the island in the three weeks following the earthquake.
Researchers published their comprehensive findings in September 2026.
The Big Picture
The study findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences document the specific mechanics of this glacial burial. This event provides a critical case study on how climate-driven permafrost degradation alters the geological stability of Arctic volcanoes like Beerenberg.
The findings underscore the increasing risks posed by slope instability in warming Arctic regions as permafrost continues to degrade. This geological shift could inform future risk assessments for infrastructure and research stations located on unstable mountain slopes.
The takeaway
This event demonstrates the complex link between seismic activity and climate-impacted land stability in the Arctic. Researchers expect the glacier to remain buried for the foreseeable future as the landscape continues to adjust.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in the field of Geology.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eos.
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