Earth's Ice Loss Surpasses 12 Trillion Tons in Nearly 50 Years

WHO:

KSL News - Eric Rignot, ice scientist at University of California, Irvine; Ines Otosaka, lead study author and ice scientist at Northumbria University; Andrew Shepherd, study co-author from Northumbria; David Holland, ice scientist at New York University; Ted Scambos, ice scientist at University of Colorado.

WHAT:

KSL News - Earth has lost about 12.5 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica since 1979.

KSL News - The melted ice is equivalent to enough frozen water to stack ice 5 feet deep across the continental United States.

KSL News - The melting has contributed to a global sea level rise of about one inch since 1979.

KSL News - The Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is retreating up to 164 feet a day.

KSL News - The study indicates that five-sixths of the ice melt is due to warmer waters rather than hotter air.

WHERE:

KSL News - The ice loss is occurring in Greenland and Antarctica.

WHEN:

KSL News - The study published data from ice sheet volumes in Antarctica back to 1979 and in Greenland back to 1972.

KSL News - The study's authors noted a pause in the accelerating numbers from 2020 to 2023.

WHY:

KSL News - The melting of ice sheets is linked to climate change, with a clear trend of increasing mass loss over decades.

HOW:

KSL News - The study utilized 45 independent surveys and 27 different satellites to gather data on ice sheet volumes.

(UPDATED September 21, 2026 02:11 UTC)

A new study reveals that Earth has lost approximately 12.5 trillion tons of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica since 1979, which is enough to cover the continental United States in five feet of frozen water. The research, led by ice scientists from various universities, shows that this melting has contributed to a global sea level rise of about one inch, with warmer ocean waters being the primary cause of the ice loss. Notably, the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is retreating at an alarming rate of up to 164 feet each day, highlighting the urgent impact of climate change on our planet's ice sheets.