Full Breakdown
Accelerating Melt of Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets Unveiled by Satellite Analysis
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Massive Ice Loss Since the Late 1970s
A new international study combining 45 independent surveys and 27 satellite records shows that roughly 12.5 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice have disappeared from Greenland and Antarctica since 1979. The melt translates to about 3 quadrillion gallons (11.3 quadrillion liters) of water, raising global sea level by roughly 1 inch (3.1 cm) over the same period. The Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is now retreating at rates up to 164 feet (50 m) per day.
Drivers Behind the Accelerating Decline
Scientists attribute most of the loss to warmer ocean waters eroding ice from below and the sides, rather than direct atmospheric heating. Dynamic processes—rapid ice discharge, glacier flow acceleration, and ice-sheet instability—are now the dominant contributors, raising concerns about potential “tipping points.” The study notes a clear shift from relative stability in the 1970s-1990s to a sharp acceleration in the 2010s, with a brief 2020-2023 slowdown linked to short-term weather variability rather than a reversal of the long-term trend.
Official Statements & Responses
Fellow co-author Andrew Shepherd, also of Northumbria, described the recent surge as “something to be concerned about” and stressed that the brief 2020-2023 pause was merely a “bump in the record.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is a clear trend that the ice sheets are losing more mass and it has been increasing from decade to decade, especially if you look at the ice being discharged to the ocean,” — Ines Otosaka, lead study author
- “The use of relatively independent methods gives me greater confidence in the result," said Holland, who wasn't part of the study.” — David Holland, university ice scientist
- “ "The 'wild cards' of Antarctic mass loss continue to pose a challenge for human management of the planet — a clear and present danger, but many decades in the future," said University of Colorado ice scientist Ted Scambos, who wasn't part of the study.” — Northumbria University, an ice scientist