Photos

This radome overlooking Kangerlussuaq has been abandoned.

From 1958 until 1992, a Cold War DEW Line station monitored the airspace approaching the American continent from these quiet hills overlooking Kangerlussuaq. Now, Ionospheric Research and HF Communications studies are carried out from the site. The Sondrestrom Research Institute carries out research on auroras and the ionosphere under the auspices of SRI International and the US National Science Foundation.

In the foreground are miniature birch and willow trees. If you get lost in the forest here, just stand up. The trees only grow to a height of a few inches, staying close to the ground to protect themselves from the arctic cold. In September, the leaves change colour, just as they would in the south. So the landscape is beautifully tinted with reds and yellows among the green leaves.

This area is home to a large herd of musk oxen. A tiny herd of 27 animals was introduced here in the 1960s. There are now more than 10,000 roaming the hills and they are beginning to exceed the capacity of the land to feed them. Hunting season will help to keep the numbers in control.

Google Earth fans can see the satellite view of this location here.