Greenland, Antarctica Lose 11.3 Trillion Tons Since 1979

Climate scientist Ines Otosaka of Northumbria University, lead author of the IMBIE study by an international group of polar scientists published in Scientific Data on Sept 16, 2026, stated that Greenland and Antarctica lost 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice from 1979 to 2023 based on 27 satellite missions. "To put this very large number into context, 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice is enough ice to fill in a cube that would be 23 kilometres in height," Otosaka said. The losses raised sea levels about 3.14 cm, with Greenland contributing roughly 60% and Antarctica 40%. Otosaka added that ice losses started in the 1990s and the pace increased by a factor of four between the 1980s and 2010s, with ice sheets now a major driver accounting for about 25% of sea-level rise. Some 84% of the ice lost came from glaciers flowing more quickly into the ocean rather than surface melting. A slowdown from 2020 to 2023 came from unusually high snowfall in East Antarctica and milder Greenland summers. Otosaka said each additional centimetre of sea-level rise puts about 2 to 3 million people at risk of annual coastal flooding, and that the findings show the urgent need to develop plans for protecting coastal communities.