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Greenland and Antarctica lost 11.3 trillion tons of ice since 1979
An international team of scientists, part of the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise (IMBIE), has released the longest satellite-based analysis of ice sheet changes to date. The study, published in Scientific Data, reveals that Greenland and Antarctica have lost a combined 11.3 trillion tons of ice between 1979 and 2023.
This massive loss of ice has contributed to a global sea-level rise of more than 3 centimeters. Researchers noted that the rate of ice loss has accelerated significantly since the 1990s. In Greenland, annual ice loss rose from approximately 60 billion tons in the 1980s to 264 billion tons during the 2010s. Antarctica also saw an increase, with annual losses reaching approximately 202 billion tons in the 2010s.
A critical finding of the study is that approximately 84% of the recorded ice loss is driven by the dynamic behavior of glaciers rather than just surface melting. Warm ocean water is attacking glaciers from below, causing them to flow more rapidly into the ocean. This process is less susceptible to short-term weather changes, such as cool summers, because the ocean retains heat over long periods.
Entities
Antarctica · ESA · European Space Agency · Greenland · IMBIE · NASA · Petermann Glacier · University of Ottawa
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A massive ice island measuring over 76 square kilometers detached from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland in August. www.tempo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Antarctica's annual ice loss reached 202 billion tons during the 2010s. www.meteored.com.ar · isokolka.eu · zielona.interia.pl
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 84% of the recorded ice loss was due to the dynamic behavior of glaciers. www.meteored.com.ar · www.mdr.de
- [DISPUTED] Greenland and Antarctica lost 11.3 trillion tons of ice between 1979 and 2023. fastcompanybrasil.com · www.meteored.com.ar · www.mdr.de · isokolka.eu · zielona.interia.pl
- [● 3 SOURCES] Greenland's annual ice loss increased from 60 billion tons in the 1980s to 264 billion tons in the 2010s. www.meteored.com.ar · isokolka.eu · zielona.interia.pl
- [● 5 SOURCES] The ice loss has raised global sea levels by more than 3 centimeters. fastcompanybrasil.com · www.meteored.com.ar · isokolka.eu · www.mdr.de · zielona.interia.pl
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A 76 square kilometer ice island detached from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland in August. www.tempo.com