Review of Greenland's thermal springs

Thermal springs are a rare but diverse feature of Greenland’s ice-free margins, with temperatures ranging from near freezing to over 60 °C. Greenland’s thermal springs host distinctive biological communities, from thermophilic microbial mats to unique vascular plant assemblages, representing important Arctic biodiversity hotspots. They hold cultural, ecological, and scientific importance, yet records are mostly scattered across historical literature, local knowledge, and isolated field reports. Here, we present the first comprehensive review and quality-controlled geodatabase of Greenland’s thermal springs, compiled from more than a century of scientific and historical sources, botanical surveys, Greenlandic placenames, satellite imagery, and field observations. The present database contains entries for 382 individual spring localities, providing names, coordinates, geological setting, thermal characteristics, and metadata on source reliability. We describe their geographic distribution, geological setting, and possible heat sources, which include radiogenic decay, residual magmatic heat, and exothermic chemical weathering. Besides a lack of recent visits and photo documentation of many thermal springs, this synthesis highlights substantial gaps in temperature, chemistry, and discharge measurements, underlining the need for systematic sampling and community-based monitoring. The open access database offers a foundation for future interdisciplinary research, supports conservation planning, and provides a baseline for assessing climate-driven changes in Greenland’s geothermal systems. Eqikkaaneq Puilasut kissartut Kalaallit Nunaata sermersuaqanngitsuani qaqutigoortuupput kisianni assigiinngisitaarlutik, qerisinnaanngajatsuniit 60°C-t sinnerlugit kissassusilinnut. Kalaallit Nunaanni puilasut kissartut immikkuullarissunik pinngortitap uumassusililernerinik assigiinngitsorpassuarnik peqarput kissartumi tappiorannartuniit naasunut tunngasunut pisunit, issittumilu uumassusilinnut pingaaruteqarluinnartumik inissisimasuullutik. Taakku kulturikkut, pinngortitami pissuseqatigiinnikkut ilisimatusarnikkullu pingaaruteqarluinnarput, taamaattorli oqaluttuarisaanermi atuakkiani sumiiffinni ilisimatusarnermik aammalu immikkoortunik misissuinerni, inuiaqatigiit ilisimasaannik apersuinernit allattorsimaffiit siaruaqqasuullutik. Uani siullerpaamik tamakkiisumik saqqummiunneqarput misissuinerit pitsaasutsimillu nakkutigineqartumik geodatabase Kalaallit Nunaanni silaannaap pissusaanik misissuinerit, ukiuni untritilillit sinnerlugit ilisimatusarnerni oqaluttuarisaanermillu tunngaveqartunik, naasorsiuussutsikkut misissuinernit, kalaallisut nunat aqqinit, qaammataasiamit assilisanit aammalu nunami misissuinernit katersorneqarsimasut. Maannamut paasissutissaavimmi puilasut ataasiakkaat 382-usut pillugit allattorsimaffiit ilaatinneqarput, tassanilu aqqit, naleqqat (koordinaatit), geologiskimi inissisimanerit, kissassutsit pissusiannit naleqqussarnerit aammalu qularnaveeqquserneqarnerinnut metadata-t allaaserineqarlutik. Uani nassuiarneqarput nunap assinganik siammasissuseqarneri, geologiskimi inissisimaneri kiisalu kissassutsimik pilersitsisinnaanneri. Taakkulu ilagalugit radiogenimik aserorterneqarneri, magmateskimik kissassusiup sinneri kiisalu eksotermiskimik kemiimut tunngasunik aakkiartornerit. Puilasut kissartut amerlasuut qanittukkut tikinneqarsimannginneri kiisalu assinik uppernarsiisarnernik amigaateqarnerit saniatigut ataatsimoortillugit isiginiarneqarnerini pingaaruteqarpoq kissassutsinut, kemimik aammalu aniatitsinermik misissuinerni annertuumik amigaateqarnernik ersersitsinissaq, tassanimi ataqatigiissumik misissueqqisaarinissat kiisalu inuiaqatigiinnit nakkutiginninnerit pisariaqartinneqarmata. Avammut ammasumik paasissutissaaveqarnerup siunissami tunngaviusumik ilisimatusarnissamut neqeroorutigaa innarlernaveersaarnissaannut pilersaarusiornernut misissuieqqissaarineqarsinnaaneq.