Antarctica's Brief Rebound Was Caused by Climate Variability, Not a 'New Normal'
Researchers say the snowfall surge was a short-lived climate anomaly tied to a warm tropical ocean pattern, not a lasting recovery.
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5 Articles
Recent Ice Growth in Eastern Antarctica Only Temporary As Ice Mass Observations Continue to Fall Globally Researchers Find
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Researchers believe they have figured out what caused a brief increase in ice mass growth in East Antartica that offset losses on the Western side of the land mass, but that yearslong offset won't limit global, decadeslong ice loss, a major contributor to sea level rise. The joint research team The post Recent Ice Growth in Eastern Antarctica Only Temporary As Ice Mass Observations Continue to Fall Globally Researc…
Antarctica's brief rebound was caused by climate variability, not a 'new normal'
Between 2021 and 2023, Antarctica appeared to be growing. Heavy snowfall fueled by wetter weather caused parts of the continent to gain mass, leading some to question whether climate change is really causing the ice to melt. However, a new study shows that the precipitation increase was an anomaly related to extra-warm tropical ocean temperatures, not part of a long-term trend.
This spring, the amount of land ice on Antarctica was comparable to six years ago, despite a number of exceptionally warm years on Earth. That windfall is "probably temporary".
The Antarctic ice sheet has gained mass — but probably not for long
Nature, Published online: 19 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02376-wSince 2020, snowfall has largely counterbalanced the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet. The atmospheric effect that causes this has been identified — and it’s temporary.
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