Ice, Ice Baby... Antarctica Gains Ice
By: Anne Sigrid Frisk
IST- Tanzania
Antarctica is a massive continent that is covered by an ice sheet, which contains 60% of the Earth's fresh water, making it one of the most critical factors in determining the future of rising sea levels. Ice loss in the Antarctic has been a big problem in the last couple of decades. Between 2002 and 2023, Antarctica experienced a net loss of approximately 1.85 trillion tons of ice. The ice loss rate nearly doubled from the 2000s to the 2010s (Guardian).
In the last couple of years, however, there has been an interesting change in Antarctica. Using data from NASA satellites, scientists can measure the mass of this enormous ice sheet, helping scientists better understand what happens on this continent. This makes it possible for researchers to record the ice loss and gain closely. A new study conducted by a group of researchers from Tongji University in Shanghai (who specialize in tracking the changes that were seen in Antarctica's ice sheets over the last two decades) shows that even though the overall trend shows Antarctica losing ice, from 2021-2023, Antarctica gained an average of 108 gigatons of ice despite the rising average global temperatures and climate change.
Scientists say that this is largely due to the high precipitation in East Antarctica that happened during this time period. Though this is seen as a huge accomplishment in the scientific field, it does not even begin to make up for the almost 20 years of loss. Some might think that Antarctica gaining back ice is a sign of climate change reversing. It is not. Both the scientists behind the study and researchers who reviewed it emphasized that this is not evidence of a long-term reversal; rather, it is a mix of weather events, most likely linked to shifts in the wind and atmospheric moisture patterns, both of which may be influenced by climate change itself. The situation is still complex, and researchers are still developing a full understanding of the situation. One should see Antarctica gaining ice as an important reminder to both scientists and non-scientists. Climate change does not follow a smooth pattern, but a jagged one with many ups and downs within the larger picture.
