Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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GP: Fachverband Geschichte der Physik

GP 6: Militärische Kontexte

GP 6.2: Talk

Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 12:10–12:35, HSZ 204

Exploring Greenland: Denmark, the US Military and the Geophysical Sciences in the Cold War — •Matthias Heymann — Aarhus University

This paper explores a vacant spot in the cold war history of science: the development of research activities in the physical environmental sciences and in nuclear science and technology in Greenland. In the post-war period scientific exploration of the polar areas became a strategically important element in American and Soviet defense policy. Particularly geophysical fields like meteorology, geology, seismology, oceanography and others profited greatly from military interest. While Denmark maintained formal sovereignty over Greenland, research activities were strongly dominated by US military interests. This paper sets out to summarize the limited current state of knowledge about activities in the environmental physical sciences in Greenland and their entanglement with military, geopolitical, colonial and environmental interests of both the USA and Denmark. It is intended to raise open questions and map out new research challenges. It points out problems of particular historical interest, such as the question of a distortion of the sciences by military engagement, the relation scientific internationalization and military classification of research results, and the shift from military predominance in research planning to emerging environmental interests in Arctic regions in the later cold war period. The paper provides an overview on a collaborative research project pursued at Aarhus University and Florida State University and its latest research results.