Danish Seismic Research in Relation to American Nuclear Detection Efforts

Anne Lif Lund Jacobsen explores the role of seismic stations in Greenland as critical to US efforts to detect atomic bomb explosions over long distances. She argues that American military agencies sought to gain access to knowledge and localities in Greenland by engaging Danish seismologists in research projects and scholarly cooperation with US scientific institutions. Jacobsen points out that as Denmark’s disarmament policy increasingly influenced seismic research activities, the relationship between Danish and American agencies became more complex and politically charged.

Drawing upon the private letters of Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann, and archival documents from the USA and Denmark, this chapter explores how Danish seismic science was influenced by Cold War geopolitics. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.