Arctic Glacial Burial Linked to Seismic Activity
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake triggered a massive rock avalanche, covering up to 50% of the Kjerulf Glacier on Jan Mayen.
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 rock avalanche that buried between 30% and 50% of the Kjerulf Glacier on Jan Mayen Island. This event is documented in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2026.
Why it matters
The event highlights how degrading permafrost destabilizes Arctic slopes, making them increasingly susceptible to collapse during seismic activity. This underscores the structural risks posed to glacial landscapes as climate change alters the mechanical integrity of northern terrain.
A volume of 1 million cubic meters of rock buried the glacier following a magnitude 6.5 earthquake located 7 kilometers away. The slope's vulnerability was exacerbated by smaller, recurring rockslides observed in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
The players
Kjerulf Glacier
A glacial landmass on Jan Mayen Island that remains largely covered by debris.
Weyprecht Glacier
A neighboring glacier that experienced ice calving due to seismic activity.
The details
The collapse occurred when seismic waves from the earthquake destabilized a mountain slope weakened by thawing permafrost—the layer of ground that remains frozen year-round. Over consecutive years, these thermal changes loosened the rock face, which eventually succumbed to the tremor. The mechanical stress caused by over 1,500 aftershocks in the subsequent three weeks further impacted the region, even triggering ice calving at the nearby Weyprecht Glacier four hours after the main quake.
Timeline
2017, 2019, 2023, 2024: Smaller rockslides destabilized the collapse site.
10 March 2025: A magnitude 6.5 earthquake triggered the rock avalanche.
March 2025 (post-quake): 1,500 aftershocks occurred over three weeks.
September 2026: Study results were published in PNAS.
The Tech Race
This study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences marks a new empirical benchmark for understanding permafrost degradation risks in seismically active regions. It expands on existing geological models that track the 14-millimeter-per-year movement of tectonic plates.
This event demonstrates the unpredictable nature of geological hazards in remote Arctic regions. The area is expected to remain buried for a long time, preventing current scientific or commercial access to the impacted glacier site.
The takeaway
The Jan Mayen avalanche serves as a warning of how warming permafrost turns minor slopes into significant collapse risks during seismic events. Scientists will now monitor whether the remaining glacial mass stabilizes or accelerates its retreat following the earthquake-induced debris cover.
Further reading
For broader context on how shifting geological conditions impact the planet, explore our Geology section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eos.
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