Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017

Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017

14 JUNE 2018 | The IMBIE team
The Antarctic Ice Sheet lost 2,720 ± 1,390 billion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017, leading to a sea-level rise of 7.6 ± 3.9 millimetres. This loss was driven by ocean-driven melting in West Antarctica, increasing from 53 ± 29 to 159 ± 26 billion tonnes per year, and ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic Peninsula, increasing from 7 ± 13 to 33 ± 16 billion tonnes per year. East Antarctica showed the least certainty, with an average mass gain of 5 ± 46 billion tonnes per year. The study combined satellite observations of ice volume, flow, and gravitational attraction with surface mass balance models to estimate mass changes. The results showed that the Antarctic Ice Sheet lost 109 ± 56 billion tonnes per year on average. The study also evaluated the impact of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) on mass balance estimates, finding that GIA models had varying uncertainties, particularly in East Antarctica. The study highlights the importance of continued satellite observations and improved methods for assessing ice-sheet mass balance. The IMBIE team, consisting of researchers from various institutions, conducted this study to better understand the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea-level rise.The Antarctic Ice Sheet lost 2,720 ± 1,390 billion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017, leading to a sea-level rise of 7.6 ± 3.9 millimetres. This loss was driven by ocean-driven melting in West Antarctica, increasing from 53 ± 29 to 159 ± 26 billion tonnes per year, and ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic Peninsula, increasing from 7 ± 13 to 33 ± 16 billion tonnes per year. East Antarctica showed the least certainty, with an average mass gain of 5 ± 46 billion tonnes per year. The study combined satellite observations of ice volume, flow, and gravitational attraction with surface mass balance models to estimate mass changes. The results showed that the Antarctic Ice Sheet lost 109 ± 56 billion tonnes per year on average. The study also evaluated the impact of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) on mass balance estimates, finding that GIA models had varying uncertainties, particularly in East Antarctica. The study highlights the importance of continued satellite observations and improved methods for assessing ice-sheet mass balance. The IMBIE team, consisting of researchers from various institutions, conducted this study to better understand the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea-level rise.
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[slides and audio] Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017