Jakarta, ThedailyID — Researchers have found that Greenland and Antarctica have lost around 11.3 trillion tons of ice since the 1970s.
The massive ice loss has contributed to more than 3 centimeters of global sea level rise. Researchers linked the changes to warming ocean temperatures.
The findings came from the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise (IMBIE), an international research collaboration supported by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The study combines the longest satellite record yet of changes in the two major polar ice sheets. Researchers examined Greenland from 1972 and Antarctica from 1979 through 2023.
The dataset combines information from 42 different satellite surveys and 27 satellite missions. Most of the recorded ice loss came from Greenland.
“By tracing the data back to the 1970s, we can now see how the ice sheets have changed over half a century,” study lead Inès Otosaka of Northumbria University said in a statement, according to Space, as reported on Sunday, September 27.
The researchers found that 84% of the ice loss came from glaciers flowing and melting faster over time. Surface melting accounted for the remaining 16%.
“More than four-fifths of the ice loss occurred because glaciers accelerated, rather than from surface melting,” Otosaka said.
The finding suggests that long-term changes have largely resulted from the dynamic response of ice sheets to warmer ocean temperatures.
The study also found that annual ice loss has increased sharply since the 1990s. Greenland and Antarctica both recorded much higher annual losses in the 2010s than in the 1980s.
Greenland lost around 60 billion tons of ice per year during the 1980s. That figure rose to around 264 billion tons annually during the 2010s.
Antarctica showed a similar trend. Annual ice loss increased from around 48 billion tons in the 1980s to approximately 202 billion tons per year during the 2010s.
The resulting rise in sea levels has increased concerns about the wider effects of climate change. Researchers expect the ice sheets to continue losing ice in the coming decades.
“Global assessments such as IMBIE are essential for protecting communities affected by climate change,” said Andrew Shepherd of Northumbria University, an IMBIE founder and study co-author.
Satellite observations are also helping scientists track changes across the polar regions. The data can help researchers test climate models and reduce uncertainty around future sea level projections.
“Satellites give us annual evidence across entire continents of what is happening now,” said Tyler Sutterly of the University of Washington.
ESA researcher Diego Fernández also stressed the importance of maintaining long-term satellite missions and climate records. He specifically highlighted missions such as CryoSat-2 and Sentinel.
The researchers’ findings provide a long-term view of how Greenland and Antarctica have changed. They also highlight the importance of continued satellite monitoring as scientists assess future ice loss and sea level rise.
