Study: Ice Sheets Lost 11.3 Trillion Tons Since 1979
Researchers said warmer oceans drove 84% of the ice loss, and the melting has raised global sea levels by about 3.1 centimeters.
- On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, researchers published a study in Scientific Data revealing that Greenland and Antarctica have lost 11.3 trillion tons of ice since 1979, driving significant global sea level rise.
- Lead study author Ines Otosaka of Northumbria University explained that 84% of ice loss stems from glaciers discharging into the ocean, with only 16% from surface melting driven by atmospheric temperatures.
- The international team utilized data from 27 satellites across 45 independent surveys, finding that Greenland's annual ice loss surged from 60 billion metric tons in the 1980s to 264 billion metric tons in the 2010s.
- This melting raised global average sea levels by 3cm, prompting co-author Professor Andrew Shepherd to warn that the rise puts "another six to nine million people at risk of coastal flooding and erosion."
- Despite a temporary slowdown between 2020 and 2023 caused by weather variations, Otosaka warned of potential "tipping points" as the long-term trend remains driven by warming oceans accelerating ice sheet discharge.
182 Articles
182 Articles
Greenland and Antarctica have lost an estimated 11.3 trillion tons of ice since the late 1970s. A new, large-scale analysis of satellite measurements shows that the loss of both ice sheets has accelerated significantly in recent decades. Most of the loss is not caused by melting ice on the surface, but by increased outflow into the ocean.
Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, resulting in an increase of 3.2 centimetres in ocean levels.
Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, causing global sea levels to rise by about 3.2 centimeters. A new comprehensive study shows that the melting has accelerated in recent decades, especially since the 1990s. The main reason is warmer oceans, which are causing glaciers to shed ice more quickly into the sea. The study combines satellite data collected for more than 40 years. Data for Antarctica has been collect…
GREENLAND and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, raising sea levels by 3.2 cm.
Greenland and Antarctica Lose 12.5 Trillion Tons of Ice Since 1979, Study Finds
Since 1979, the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tons of mass. Data published in Scientific Data, based on satellite archives from NASA and the European Space Agency, reveals a stark discrepancy between the perceived drivers of melting and the actual physical mechanisms at work. The central tension in the data lies in the role of the ocean versus the atmosphere. While rising air temperatures often dominate the publi…
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