Science
East Antarctica added 695 billion tons of ice from 2021 to 2023
ScienceDaily reports that a recent study linked record East Antarctic snowfall to tropical ocean patterns.
The short version
- East Antarctica accumulated 695 billion tons of ice mass between 2021 and 2023.[ScienceDaily]
- Researchers reported the surge was driven by atmospheric pathways linked to warming in the tropical warm pool rather than direct human-caused warming.[ScienceDaily]
- Despite the temporary accumulation, the continent has averaged an annual loss of about 140.5 billion tons of ice over the last two decades.[ScienceDaily]
Key facts
- East Antarctica accumulated 695 billion tons of ice mass between 2021 and 2023.[ScienceDaily]
- Antarctica has shed ice at a rate averaging approximately 140.5 billion tons per year across the previous two decades.[ScienceDaily]
- Direct anthropogenic forcing was estimated to represent only 9% of the measured snowfall anomaly.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- The long-term impact of periodic tropical atmospheric teleconnections on offsetting overall continental ice decline remains uncertain.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Antarctica gained a record 695 billion tons of ice. Scientists found the surprising reasonScienceDaily - Environment