A glimpse into the rare earth riches of Greenland

Under ultraviolet light, these sodalite stones at the Kvanefjeld mineral deposit in southern Greenland glow with an eerie luminescence against a gloomy mountainous backdrop.

The shot was taken by photographer Jonas Kako on a trip to Greenland, where he was exploring how mining for rare earth elements and minerals on the island is affecting locals. It sees the sodalite at the Kvanefjeld site – itself not valuable, just beautiful – absorb ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation, which is outside the spectrum that humans can detect. The sodalite then emits light in a wavelength that is visible to the naked eye.

The Kvanefjeld site contains many of the rare earth elements and minerals vital for batteries that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but also for the space and defence industries. Right now, around 90 per cent of these materials come from Chinese mines and processing plants, putting western countries in a vulnerable position. But 25 of the 34 minerals classified by the European Commission as critical raw materials can be found in Greenland.

Those sorts of resources mean that Kvanefjeld and other similarly mineral-rich sites in Greenland are of interest to scientists and politicians alike. And it is no coincidence that Greenland has found itself making rare international headlines as global tensions rise, with President Donald Trump’s bellicose and concerning rhetoric first about a potential purchase of the island, and then threats of a forceful takeover.

Kako’s images, collected in the photo story Treasure Island, explore the situation on an island where many were already seeking to distance themselves from the Danish government. Full independence is a goal of many of the autonomous territory’s political parties, which also largely reject the notion of becoming part of the US. The already complex political situation on the island has grown even more tangled, while Greenland’s somewhat startled residents suddenly find themselves in the international spotlight.

For now, Greenland’s economy still rests on fishing, which generates about 90 per cent of export revenue. Resource extraction could change that dramatically. But citizens are also concerned about the environmental impact that large-scale mining could bring, even if it could help the island pay its own way as a sovereign state – especially as many of the minerals are found mixed with radioactive uranium.

In Kako’s image above, two Greenland residents are shown in the Amitsoq mine, which was run by Danes more than a century ago, and shovelling graphite samples into a wheelbarrow for analysis to assess future mining prospects. The site is one of the largest graphite deposits in the world, which is a resource of growing importance for green technologies and batteries. The European Union classified the mine as strategically important last year, and it can now expect to receive financial support. Below is a shot of a sample of graphite.