Most publications claim that a massive northern hemisphere glaciation started around 3 Ma. In the case of Greenland there are evidences that the large ice sheet existed prior to this period. New seismic data off East Greenland combined with results from ODP legs indicate a pronounced middle miocene unconformity along the entire shelf between 72°N and 80°N. The stratigraphic interpretation does not allow to distinguish between glacial and non-glacial sediments. The change to strongly prograding units represents an important change in glacial dynamics that led to more strongly erosional ice advances. The unconformity might be a consequence of sea level changes, glacial erosion or both.Glacial sequences were analysed along the entire East Greenland margin and show differences between north and south. A strong prograding character of glacial sediments are visible north of the Jan-Mayen Fracture zone. Dominating aggradational sequences south of 72°N let assume the glaciation and glacial erosion was more massive in the north.Results from detailed analyses of glacial sediments along the East Greenland margin will be introduced.