Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Satellite Data Reveals Major Ice Losses in Greenland, Antarctica
Scientists used data from 27 satellite missions to measure ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica.
Together, the two ice sheets lost 11.3 trillion tons of ice from 1979 to 2023.
Most of the loss came from Greenland.
The melting added about 1.24 inches to global sea levels.
Higher seas can make flooding and erosion more dangerous for people living near coasts.
Most of the ice loss happened because glaciers moved faster into the ocean, rather than only because surface ice melted.
Ice loss became much faster from the 1980s to the 2010s.
Although losses slowed between 2020 and 2023, scientists said this was probably temporary.
Greenland and Antarctica lost a combined 11.3 trillion tons of ice between 1979 and 2023.
The losses contributed 1.24 inches, or 3.14 centimeters, to global sea-level rise.
About 60% of the ice loss came from Greenland and 40% from Antarctica.
Ice loss increased fourfold between the 1980s and the 2010s, with losses beginning in the 1990s.
A slowdown from 2020 to 2023 was linked to unusual snowfall and milder summers, not a reversal of the long-term trend.
- Who
- An international team of polar scientists called the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise team, led by climate scientist Inès Otosaka.
- What
- Researchers documented 11.3 trillion tons of ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica and measured its contribution to global sea-level rise.
- When
- Between 1979 and 2023; the study was reported on September 16.
- Where
- Greenland and Antarctica, with effects on coastal communities worldwide.
- Why
- The research was conducted to assess long-term ice-sheet changes and their effects on sea-level rise and coastal flooding, amid human-caused climate change.
- Study period
- 1979–2023
- Data sources
- 27 satellite missions
- Total ice loss
- 11.3 trillion tons
- Sea-level contribution
- 1.24 inches, or 3.14 centimeters
- Share from Greenland
- About 60%
- Share from Antarctica
- About 40%
- Main ice-loss mechanism
- About 84% came from glaciers flowing faster into the ocean
- Research publication
- Published in the journal Scientific Data