Polar Ice Loss Surpasses 12 Trillion Tons Over Nearly Five Decades

WHO:

PBS - Eric Rignot, ice scientist at University of California, Irvine; Ines Otosaka, ice scientist at Northumbria University in England; Andrew Shepherd, also of Northumbria; David Holland, ice scientist at New York University; Ted Scambos, ice scientist at University of Colorado.

PBS - An international collaboration of polar scientists, headed by the European Space Agency.

WHAT:

PBS - Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica over 47 years.

PBS - The melting ice is enough to stack ice 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep across the continental United States.

PBS - Nearly 3 quadrillion gallons of water (11.3 quadrillion liters) from melted ice have contributed to a global sea level rise of about an inch (3.1 centimeters) since 1979.

PBS - The Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is retreating up to 164 feet (50 meters) a day.

PBS - The study indicated that the ice sheets are losing more mass, with an increasing trend from decade to decade.

WHERE:

PBS - Greenland and Antarctica; specifically mentioned is a fjord in western Greenland.

WHEN:

PBS - The study referenced data from 1979 to 2023.

PBS - The study's authors noted that the melting trend began to accelerate in the 2010s.

WHY:

PBS - The melting is primarily caused by warmer waters eroding the ice sheets from below and the sides, rather than just hotter air.

HOW:

PBS - The study utilized data from 45 independent surveys and 27 different satellites, including NASA satellites, to chart ice sheet volumes.

(UPDATED September 17, 2026 16:01 UTC)

An international collaboration of polar scientists, led by the European Space Agency, has revealed that Earth has lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica over the past 47 years. This melting ice, enough to create a five-foot layer across the continental United States, has contributed to a global sea level rise of about an inch since 1979, with the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland retreating up to 164 feet a day. The study, which analyzed data from 45 independent surveys and 27 satellites, indicates that the trend of ice loss is accelerating, primarily due to warmer waters eroding the ice sheets from below and the sides.