28/05/2025
Study proves ice in Antarctica increased for the first time in decades!
In a stunning reversal, Antarctica's massive ice sheet has gained ice for the first time in decades, temporarily bucking a long-standing trend of mass loss.
According to a new study published in Science China Earth Sciences, between 2021 and 2023, the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) gained approximately 108 gigatons of mass annually—largely due to an unexpected surge in snowfall over East Antarctica.
This growth, focused on four major glacier basins, marks a dramatic shift after years of rapid ice depletion and briefly slowed the pace of global sea level rise.
Researchers attribute the gains to anomalous precipitation, particularly in glacier-heavy regions like Totten and Denman, which had been losing mass at an accelerating rate throughout the previous decade. Using satellite data from the GRACE missions, the team recorded a clear reversal from the 2011–2020 period, when the ice sheet was shedding about 142 gigatons per year. While this temporary boost highlights the volatility of Earth’s climate systems, scientists caution that the growth is likely short-lived unless underpinned by sustained changes in global weather patterns.
More details/photos: https://www.beautyofplanet.com/a-natural-wonder-the-woodpeckers-tongue/
