Story perspectives

Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets lost 11.3 trillion tons

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 3:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Researchers led by Inès Otosaka reported that Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost 11.3 trillion tons from 1979 to 2023.
The loss raised global average sea level by about one inch (three centimeters).
Glacier discharge caused 84 % of the loss while surface melting contributed the remaining 16 %.
Record snowfall over East Antarctica and milder Greenland summers slowed loss from 2020 to 2023.

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Story summary

Researchers led by Inès Otosaka reported that Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost 11.3 trillion tons from 1979 to 2023.
The loss raised global average sea level by about one inch (three centimeters).
Glacier discharge caused 84 % of the loss while surface melting contributed the remaining 16 %.
Record snowfall over East Antarctica and milder Greenland summers slowed loss from 2020 to 2023.