He Knew Greenland’s Ice Like No Other. Then It Took Him.

In August 2020, renowned scientist Konrad "Koni" Steffen vanished in Greenland, a place he held dearer than anywhere else on earth.

At 68, Koni was still vibrant as he walked the ice sheet he'd studied for years, the very sheet he had indicated was a significant contributor to rising global sea levels.

Under a sky heavy and grey, the snow sprawled endlessly. The only companions were his team of three young men and the crumbling camp made of two red tent structures, victims of the accelerated melting they were documenting.

In his hand was a data card from his weather station, mounted on a pole bristling with solar-powered devices to gather data on snowfall, radiation, and temperature changes.

A Disappearance in the Arctic

Koni announced to his team, "Off to check my data!" That was the last moment anyone saw him.

To this day, the mysterious disappearance of one of modern climate science’s pioneers remains unresolved, leaving colleagues and the scientific community at large grappling both with his loss and the puzzle of his fate.

Five years on, Business Insider pieced together the story from various interviews and records, unveiling insights never before disclosed.

A Landscape of Change

Working near Jakobshavn glacier, Koni was at the forefront of understanding Greenland's swiftly melting ice. Despite most Greenlanders living near the coast, Koni's work took him deep into the interior.

In a place as vast as Texas three times over, Greenland's ice mass has a depth averaging a mile—second only to Antarctica. It acts as both a victim and contributor to global climate changes.

This remoteness and scale yield a solitude and silence known to few, an existence flavored by the wind and occasional subterranean ice sounds.

Pioneering Studies

Koni tackled the mystery of whether Greenland’s ice was shrinking or expanding by combining satellite imagery with ground observations, establishing Swiss Camp in 1990.

His efforts redefined climate science, demonstrating the ice sheet’s slow retreat due to warming temperatures.

His reputation for grit involved surviving polar bear encounters, icy waters, and avalanches. Thanks to his relentless work ethic, Koni became the 'Arctic cowboy' conducting research atop espressos and cigarettes.

Engaging the World

Koni’s influence extended beyond academia as he informed global leaders of the imminent threats posed by melting ice. His interactions ranged from launching reports with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to guiding visitors across the stark landscape.

Notable guests like Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore visited Swiss Camp, seeing firsthand the evidence of climate change: gorges in ice, and powerful water flows.

A Perilous Journey

In 2019, noticeable changes around Swiss Camp highlighted the dangerous realities of the work that Koni and his team undertook. The unexpected arrival of crevasses posed new challenges.

Despite the heightened risks, Koni, on August 5, 2020, made what was supposed to be a last visit before retiring. However, worsening conditions turned the expedition into a precarious venture.

As revealed by fresh satellite imagery, crevasses now dissected the area around Swiss Camp, complicating their work.

The Final Days

Their final day as expected quickly soured into an emergency as Koni’s absence was discovered after midday, leading to a frantic search. Despite efforts from his team and rescue services, no trace emerged.

No physical evidence pointed to his fate, leaving the harrowing possibility that he perished amid the shifting ice.

Reflections on a Legacy

Greenland’s geopolitical significance continues to grow, underlining Koni’s foreshadowing of an evolving ice sheet that reshapes both land and global policy.

Koni Steffen’s work remains a stark reminder and a call to urgent action in addressing climate change as potential and existing crises demand our attention.