Overview
- An international IMBIE analysis published Sept. 16 used 27 satellite missions and 42 independent surveys to build the longest consistent record of ice‑sheet change reaching back to the 1970s.
- Between the 1970s/1979 and 2023 the two ice sheets lost about 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice, which raised global sea level by roughly 3.14 centimetres.
- Greenland supplied about 60% of the loss (around 1.81 cm of sea‑level rise) while Antarctica contributed about 40% (about 1.33 cm).
- About 84% of the total loss came from glaciers speeding up and discharging ice into the ocean—driven largely by warmer seas and accelerating outlet glaciers such as Pine Island, Thwaites and Jakobshavn.
- A temporary slowdown from 2020–2023 was traced to record snowfall in East Antarctica and milder Greenland summers but researchers warned this is short‑term variability and urged sustained satellite monitoring and improved models to guide coastal planning.