Russell Glacier

Russell Glacier, or Russells Gletscher, is an active outlet of the Greenland ice sheet in central-western Greenland, about 25 kilometers east of Kangerlussuaq and among the region’s more accessible glacier fronts. Flowing westward from Sermersuaq, it advances by about 25 meters each year between Isunngua to the north and Akuliarusiarsuk to the south. Meltwater from beneath the ice feeds the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua river, which crosses a broad sandur basin toward Kangerlussuaq, while nearby waters join near the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord. The glacier has also been important to research, including a 2014 study that found evidence of methane cycling beneath the ice and suggested such glaciers may significantly affect atmospheric methane.

Qeqqata · Greenland