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 | VOL 558 | The IMBIE team*
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical indicator of climate change and a significant contributor to sea-level rise. Between 1992 and 2017, the IMBIE team combined satellite observations of volume, flow, and gravitational attraction with surface mass balance modeling to show that the ice sheet lost 2,720 ± 1,390 billion tonnes of ice, leading to a mean sea-level increase of 7.6 ± 3.9 millimeters. Ocean-driven melting increased ice loss from West Antarctica from 53 ± 29 billion tonnes per year to 159 ± 26 billion tonnes per year, while ice-shelf collapse increased loss from the Antarctic Peninsula from 7 ± 13 billion tonnes per year to 33 ± 16 billion tonnes per year. East Antarctica showed the least certain results, with an average mass gain of 5 ± 46 billion tonnes per year. The study used 24 independently derived estimates of ice-sheet mass balance, including satellite altimetry, gravimetry, and the input–output method, to produce time series of mass change for each region. The results highlight the importance of continued satellite observations and improvements in modeling to better understand and predict future changes in the Antarctic Ice Sheet.The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical indicator of climate change and a significant contributor to sea-level rise. Between 1992 and 2017, the IMBIE team combined satellite observations of volume, flow, and gravitational attraction with surface mass balance modeling to show that the ice sheet lost 2,720 ± 1,390 billion tonnes of ice, leading to a mean sea-level increase of 7.6 ± 3.9 millimeters. Ocean-driven melting increased ice loss from West Antarctica from 53 ± 29 billion tonnes per year to 159 ± 26 billion tonnes per year, while ice-shelf collapse increased loss from the Antarctic Peninsula from 7 ± 13 billion tonnes per year to 33 ± 16 billion tonnes per year. East Antarctica showed the least certain results, with an average mass gain of 5 ± 46 billion tonnes per year. The study used 24 independently derived estimates of ice-sheet mass balance, including satellite altimetry, gravimetry, and the input–output method, to produce time series of mass change for each region. The results highlight the importance of continued satellite observations and improvements in modeling to better understand and predict future changes in the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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