Greenland ice sheet lost 139 gigatonnes of ice last year

The European State of the Climate 2025 Report indicates that the Greenland ice sheet lost 139 gigatonnes of ice last year, an amount equivalent to approximately 1.5 times the ice stored in the European Alps. This loss contributed to a 0.4 mm rise in global mean sea levels. Since 1972, total losses have reached 5,747 gigatonnes, with the rate of ice loss increasing roughly fivefold since the 1980s.

Historical data dating back to 1840 suggests that mass loss in the ice sheet began around 1900. Analysis of ice mass balance shows that during the period between 1920 and 1970, ice loss rates were similar to those observed in the last three decades. Temperature records indicate that Greenland experienced comparable warmth during that mid-20th-century period.