backAntarctic Ice Loss    4777

Some Key Points

  • The rate of Antarctic ice loss is accelerating and is happening at a greater rate than anticipated a decade ago.
  • 1 mm of equivalent sea level rise equals 360 Gt of ice mass.
  • A 2018 study, published in Nature, suggests that there is a 219 Gt tonne loss of ice per year indicating a 0.6mm per year sea-level contribution.

References

https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ice-sheets/
https://www.carbonbrief.org/sea-level-rise-due-antarctic-ice-melt-has-tripled-over-past-five-years
https://www.carbonbrief.org/scientists-find-natural-pulses-in-recent-melting-of-west-antarctic-ice-sheet

Notes

The latest value of 219 Gt per year represent almost three times the rate of ice loss from Antarctica than a decade ago. It is the same weight as 36,500 Great pyramids. Another study indicates that this increased rate could be due to natural pulses of warm water periodically hitting the area, and warns that these pulses could be exacerbated with climate change.