A frozen Arctic island holds mummified forests and a gateway to Martian life

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Axel Heiberg Island is a desolate, uninhabited expanse in the Canadian Arctic, yet it hides secrets that defy conventional science. From ancient, mummified forests that refuse to petrify to hypersaline springs that mirror the harsh conditions of Mars, this remote island serves as a vital laboratory for Earth's deep history.

Located in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Axel Heiberg Island is the 34th largest island globally. Though it was once home to Inuit populations, it remained uninhabited when explorer Otto Sverdrup named it in 1900–01 after the financial director of the Norwegian Ringnes brewery. Today, the island’s only human presence is the seasonal McGill Arctic Research Station, established in 1960. The station has become a critical hub for polar research, ranging from glaciology to the study of microbes that thrive in extreme, oxygen-free environments.

The island is most famous for its extraordinary fossil forests, which date back to the Eocene epoch over 40 million years ago. Unlike typical fossils that turn to stone, these trees were mummified by the cold, dry Arctic climate, preserving them in a state that allows scientists to compare their DNA with modern plants. These ancient forests, once reaching heights of 35 meters, flourished in a warm polar climate that nonetheless experienced three months of total winter darkness. Protecting these fragile specimens remains a challenge, with proposals for a territorial park, Napaaqtulik, currently under consideration.

Beyond its botanical wonders, the island provides a unique analogue for extraterrestrial exploration. The Lost Hammer Spring, a hypersaline feature with subzero temperatures, serves as a model for potential life on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Microbes found here survive solely on inorganic compounds, offering a glimpse into how life might persist in the cryoenvironments of other worlds. Meanwhile, the island’s glaciers, such as the White Glacier, continue to offer classical insights into glaciology, marking a landscape where the history of Earth’s climate is etched into the ice and soil.

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