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Satellites Show Greenland and Antarctica Lost 12.5 Trillion Tons of Ice Since 1979
Key Takeaways
- Greenland and Antarctica glaciers lost about 12.5 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice between 1979 and the study's publication.
- The melted ice equals enough frozen water to cover the continental United States 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep.
- Meltwater totals nearly 3 quadrillion gallons (11.3 quadrillion liters) and has raised global sea levels roughly an inch (3.1 centimeters) since 1979.
- About five-sixths of the melt is caused not by hotter air but by warmer ocean water eroding ice sheets from below and the sides.
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DT Editorial Team··via phys.org