Earth Lost 11.3 Trillion Tons of Ice in 45 Years

An international team of scientists combined data from 27 satellite missions and 42 independent assessments covering nearly half a century, from the 1970s to 2023.

The results of the study showed that Greenland and Antarctica lost 11,309 ± 565 billion tons of ice during this period.

The main reason for the decline of ice sheets is not only the melting of their surface layers, but also the acceleration of ice movement and the direct discharge of ice masses into the ocean.

According to the European Space Agency, recent sea-level rise is already putting 6 to 9 million coastal residents at risk of annual flooding and erosion.