Which Greenland glacier connects the Greenland ice sheet to the Arctic Ocean near Hans Island?

The Greenland glacier connecting the Greenland ice sheet to the Arctic Ocean near Hans Island is Petermann Glacier. It lies in northwestern Greenland, east of Nares Strait, and flows into Petermann Fjord and Hall Basin.

Petermann is a tidewater glacier, meaning it reaches the sea and includes a floating ice tongue beyond its grounding line. The glacier is about 70 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide, although its floating front and dimensions change as ice melts and calves. Its name honours German cartographer August Heinrich Petermann.

The glacier became widely known after major calving events. In August 2010, an iceberg measuring about 260 square kilometres broke from its floating portion, reducing the glacier’s floating area by roughly a quarter. Another large calving event followed in July 2012.

Petermann is often confused with Greenland’s Jakobshavn Isbræ, also called Sermeq Kujalleq, which is a different outlet glacier on the island’s west coast. Helheim and Kangerdlugssuaq glaciers are also major Greenland glaciers, but they are located on the east coast and do not match the clue’s position near Hans Island.