The 1961 Beerenberg Expedition to Jan Mayen was a major scientific venture conducted by teams from Imperial and Birkbeck, focused on geological, glaciological, biological, and mountaineering investigations across the island’s remote northern sector. The expedition’s objectives included producing detailed 1:10,000 geological maps of Nord‑Jan, studying the volcanic structure of the Beerenberg massif, examining glacier dynamics—especially the unusually active Sørbreen—and collecting palaeomagnetic, petrological, and biological samples.
Geological teams mapped extensive volcanic formations, lava sequences, dykes, agglomerates, and glacial deposits from Kapp Fishburn to Jorisbreen and across the eastern and southwestern sectors. They documented complex stratigraphy reflecting multiple eruptive phases of Jan Mayen’s volcanic system and identified field relationships suggesting relatively recent (post‑Pleistocene) activity.
Glaciological work centred on Sørbreen, where the team reconstructed lost survey grids and measured ablation, flow rates, and strain after the accident. They confirmed continued glacier advance since 1959, with stake and photographic evidence showing thickening, increased crevassing, and reactivation of several neighbouring glaciers. Biological studies produced significant lichen collections, documenting 15 species previously unrecorded on Jan Mayen and capturing key ecological observations of foxes, seabirds, and plant communities in little‑studied coastal areas.