NASA satellites show Antarctica has gained ice despite rising global temperatures. How is that possible?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Antarctica has gained ice in recent years, despite increasing average global temperatures and climate change, a new study finds.
Using data from NASA satellites, researchers from Tongji University in Shanghai tracked changes in Antarctica's ice sheet over more than two decades. The overall trend is one of substantial ice loss on the continent, but from 2021 to 2023, Antarctica gained some of that lost ice back.
However, this isn't a sign that global warming and climate change have miraculously reversed. Picture a long ski slope with a small jump at the end. That's what a line through the Antarctic ice sheet data looks like when plotted on a graph. While there have been some recent ice gains, they don't even begin to make up for almost 20 years of losses.
Most of the gains have already been attributed to an anomaly that saw increased precipitation (snow and some rain) fall over Antarctica, which caused more ice to form. Antarctica's ice levels fluctuate from year to year, and the gains appear to have slowed since the study period ended at the beginning of 2024. The levels reported by NASA thus far in 2025 look similar to what they were back in 2020, just before the abrupt gain.
Related: What's hiding under Antarctica's ice?
The ice sheet covering Antarctica is the largest mass of ice on Earth. Bigger than the whole of the U.S., the sheet holds 90% of the world's fresh water, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, an environmental non-governmental organization. Antarctica is also surrounded by sea ice (frozen ocean water), which expands in the winter and retreats to the Antarctic coastline in the summer.
This latest study, published March 19 in the journal Science China Earth Sciences, analyzed data from NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On satellites that have been monitoring this ice sheet since 2002. Studying changes to the sheet is important because any melt releases water into the ocean, which is a major driver of rising sea levels.
The satellite data revealed that the sheet experienced a sustained period of ice loss between 2002 and 2020. The ice loss accelerated in the latter half of that period, increasing from an average loss of about 81 billion tons (74 billion metric tons) per year between 2002 and 2010, to a loss of about 157 billion tons (142 billion metric tons) between 2011 and 2020, according to the study. However, the trend then shifted.
The ice sheet gained mass from 2021 to 2023 at an average rate of about 119 billion tons (108 metric tons) per year. Four glaciers in eastern Antarctica also flipped from accelerated ice loss to significant mass gain.
"This isn't particularly strange," said Tom Slater, a research fellow in environmental science at Northumbria University in the U.K. who wasn't involved in the study. "In a warmer climate the atmosphere can hold more moisture — this raises the likelihood of extreme weather such as the heavy snowfall which caused the recent mass gain in East Antarctica," he told Live Science in an email.
A 2023 study documented Antarctica's unprecedented mass gain between 2021 and 2022. That study, written by many of the same authors behind the new study, found that a high precipitation anomaly was responsible for the gain in ice. The latest study suggests that the trend continued until at least 2023.
Slater noted that researchers expect the ice gains to be temporary.
"Almost all of Antarctica's grounded ice losses come from glaciers elsewhere which are speeding up and flowing into the warming ocean," Slater said. "This is still happening — while the recent snowfall has temporarily offset these losses, they haven't stopped so it's not expected this is a long-term change in Antarctica's behaviour."
Climate change doesn't mean that everywhere on Earth will get hotter at the same rate, so a single region will never tell the whole story of our warming world. Historically, temperatures over much of Antarctica have remained relatively stable, particularly compared to the Arctic, which has cooked four times faster than the rest of the globe. Antarctica's sea ice has also been much more stable relative to the Arctic, but that's been changing in recent years.
RELATED STORIES
—Antarctica 'pyramid': The strangely symmetrical mountain that sparked a major alien conspiracy theory
—'We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem': Hidden world of life discovered beneath Antarctic iceberg
—Massive Antarctic icebergs' split from glaciers may be unrelated to climate change
In 2023, Antarctic sea ice hit record lows, which researchers concluded was extremely unlikely to happen without climate change. Meanwhile, global sea ice cover is consistently dropping to record lows or near-record lows, while global temperatures are consistently at record or near-record highs.
In 2015, world leaders signed the Paris Agreement, an international treaty promising to limit global warming to preferably below 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) and well below 3.6 F (2 C). However, that first promise is on the line: April 2025 was the 21st out of the last 22 months to breach the 2.7 F limit, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
20 minutes ago
- Fox News
Tropical fruit could be the answer to better heart health, researchers suggest
Incorporating fruit every day is an important part of a balanced diet. But researchers believe that mangoes can particularly benefit heart health. A new study published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association found that mango consumption has a "significant" impact on cardio-metabolic responses and conditions in post-menopausal women. Post-menopause – the period when women do not have their menstrual cycle for at least 12 months after menopause – can increase the risk of conditions such as osteoporosis, obesity, depression and cardiovascular disease, according to experts. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, studied the effect of two weeks of mango intake at 330 grams per day in a group of "relatively healthy" post-menopausal women with an overweight or obese BMI. The study analyzed the impact of this diet on microvascular function and cardio-metabolic markers. Compared to two weeks without a daily serving of mango, the primary outcome did not detect a significant change in microvascular function, but did note that blood pressure and cholesterol levels were "significantly reduced." "Two weeks of daily mango intake was associated with a significant decrease in multiple BP outcomes in a group of healthy postmenopausal women," the researchers wrote in the publication. "The glucose and insulin responses were also moderated after mango intake." The research was taken a step further with a small probe study that compared mango consumption to a calorically equivalent amount of white bread. In both groups, blood glucose levels rose after one hour, but were "significantly less" after mango intake. Insulin levels also rose after one hour, yet remained elevated in those who consumed white bread. Researchers said this suggests a "moderating effect of mangoes on glucose absorption and metabolism." The study concluded that further research using the amount of typical mango consumption over an extended period is necessary. The researchers noted the short length of mango intake as a study limitation. For more Health articles, visit Registered dietitian nutritionist Lauri Wright, Ph.D., director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, supported the addition of colorful fruit to the diet. "This small but intriguing study suggests that mangoes, already celebrated for their antioxidants and fiber, may also support vascular health in postmenopausal women," she told Fox News Digital. (She was not involved in the new study.) "After just two servings a day for several weeks, participants saw improvements in blood vessel function and reductions in cholesterol." Although Wright is not calling mangoes a "miracle cure," she said these findings reinforce the idea that "adding colorful, plant-based foods to your plate can have heart-protective benefits." Mangoes offer a "unique" mix of compounds, including mangiferin and quercetin, which can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, she said – conditions linked to heart disease. "The takeaway? Enjoy mangoes as part of a varied, whole-food diet rich in fruits and vegetables," Wright said. "Mangoes are delicious and possibly heart-smart, so that's a win-win."
CNN
26 minutes ago
- CNN
Scientists mapped what happens if a crucial system of ocean currents collapses. The weather impact would be extreme
Climate changeFacebookTweetLink Follow The collapse of a crucial network of Atlantic Ocean currents could push parts of the world into a deep freeze, with winter temperatures plunging to around minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit in some cities, bringing 'profound climate and societal impacts,' according to a new study. There is increasing concern about the future of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — known as the AMOC — a system of currents that works like a giant conveyor belt, pulling warm water from the Southern Hemisphere and tropics to the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools, sinks and flows back south. Multiple studies suggest the AMOC is weakening with some projecting it could even collapse this century as global warming disrupts the balance of heat and salinity that keeps it moving. This would usher in huge global weather and climate shifts — including plunging temperatures in Europe, which relies on the AMOC for its mild climate. What's less clear, however, is how these impacts will unfold in a world heated up by humans burning fossil fuels. 'What if the AMOC collapses and we have climate change? Does the cooling win or does the warming win?' asked René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and co-author of the paper published Wednesday in the Geophysical Research Letters journal. This new study is the first to use a modern, complex climate model to answer the question, he told CNN. The researchers looked at a scenario where the AMOC weakens by 80% and the Earth is around 2 degrees Celsius warmer than the period before humans began burning large amounts of fossil fuels. The planet is currently at 1.2 degrees of warming. They focused on what would happen as the climate stabilized post-collapse, multiple decades into the future. Even in this hotter world, they found 'substantial cooling' over Europe with sharp drops in average winter temperatures and more intense cold extremes — a very different picture than the United States, where the study found temperatures would continue to increase even with an AMOC collapse. Sea ice would spread southward as far as Scandinavia, parts of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the research found. This would have a huge impact on cold extremes as the white surface of the ice reflects the sun's energy back into space, amplifying cooling. The scientists have created an interactive map to visualize the impacts of an AMOC collapse across the globe. London, for example, could see winter cold extremes of minus 2.2 Fahrenheit , while Oslo could see temperatures as low as minus 55 Fahrenheit and endure maximum temperatures below 32 Fahrenheit for 46% of the year. Parts of Europe will also become stormier, the study found. The increased temperature difference between northern and southern Europe will strengthen the jet stream and increase storm intensity over northwestern Europe. It 'completely shifts the narrative, right?' van Westen said. 'Because now policy is planning for a warmer future, but maybe instead, we need to also prepare for a colder future.' While cooling on an ever-hotter planet may sound like good news, van Westen warns it's anything but. Society in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere 'is not built for these kind of cold extremes,' he said. Crops would die, threatening food security, and infrastructure could buckle. What's more, the impacts of an AMOC collapse would mostly be felt in Europe's winter; it would still endure increasingly deadly heat waves in the summer as the climate crisis intensifies. The Southern Hemisphere, meanwhile, is projected to experience increased warming. The scientists also looked at the impacts of an AMOC collapse in an even hotter world. If global temperatures reach around 4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the heat outweighs the cooling impact of an AMOC collapse in Europe, van Westen said. 'The warming signal actually wins.' But, he added, an AMOC collapse won't only affect temperatures. Other impacts include increased sea level rise, which will particularly affect the US, where a weaker AMOC is already driving significantly increased flooding on the northeastern coast, according to recent research. Stefan Rahmstorf, a physical oceanographer at Potsdam University in Germany who was not involved in the latest research, said the study confirms 'an AMOC collapse would have massive impacts on European climate.' The research uses only one climate model; others will rely on different models and will likely come up with a variety of scenarios, he told CNN. What ultimately happens will depend on the how the two opposing trends play out: AMOC-induced cooling and climate change-induced heating. A 'large uncertainty' remains, he said. The study is 'by no means the last word' especially as huge questions remain over whether the AMOC could be on course to collapse, said Richard Allen, a climate science professor at the University of Reading, also not involved in the research. 'But even the mere possibility of this dire storyline unfolding over coming centuries underscores the need to forensically monitor what is happening in our oceans,' he said. What is crystal clear is that an AMOC collapse would be very bad for society, van Westen said. 'We want to avoid it at all costs.'
Associated Press
32 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Peanuts or almonds? Rice or millet? Planet-friendly grocery shopping choices go beyond cutting meat
It's one of the most impactful climate decisions we make, and we make it multiple times a day. The U.N. estimates about a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, come from food. That pollution can come from several links in the food supply chain: how farmland is treated, how crops are grown, how food is processed and how it's ultimately transported. Maybe you've already heard the short answer to minimizing your diet's impact on the planet: eat more plants and fewer animals. The data backs up that suggestion. Emissions from meat-rich diets are four times higher than that of vegan diets. But so much focus on meats overshadows many other food choices that also impact the environment and can contribute to global warming. Here is a look at other important grocery store decisions: Proteins Swapping one serving of chicken per day for beef cuts a diet's emissions nearly in half. Ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats are the top drivers of emissions. Those animals 'are associated not only with nitrous oxide emissions, but they're also related to direct methane emissions because they burp them up while they digest food,' said Marco Springmann, professorial research fellow in climate change, food systems and health at University College London. Springmann said processed animal products have a higher impact on the planet, too: 'You need 10 times the amount of milk to make one unit of cheese.' So — and this is true of most food groups — the less processed the food, the smaller the environmental impact. Plant-based proteins like legumes, beans and nuts all boast a much lower climate impact. Grains The standout here is rice, and not in a good way. 'Rice uses a ton of water. It uses gobs of fertilizer. There's flooded rice paddy fields, and that water actually breeds all kinds of bacteria, and those bacteria produce methane gas,' said eco-dietitian nutritionist Mary Purdy. Purdy said the most planet-friendly alternative is just eating a bunch of different grains. 'The wheat, corn and soy world is very, very familiar to us because we've been seeing it. It's been heavily marketed. When was the last time you saw a commercial for millet or buckwheat?' she asked. Diverse diets, Purdy said, incentivize biodiverse agriculture, which is more resilient to erratic weather — a hallmark of climate change — and makes healthier soil. Fruits and vegetables When it comes to produce, minimizing impact is less about choosing between foods and more about buying based on the way that food was grown. Conventionally grown produce 'very likely is using pesticides, fertilizer, and maybe more water because the soil isn't healthy,' said Purdy. Purdy said organic labels, such as Regenerative Organic Certified, indicate those foods had a smaller climate impact when they were grown. The tradeoff is that organic food has a lower yield, so it requires more land use and is often more expensive. Local and 'in season' foods also have a smaller climate impact, but not just for one of the reasons you may be thinking of: emissions from international shipping. Every day, thousands of large ships transport goods, including produce, around the world, and the fuel they use is heavily polluting. However, 'it's mostly those local emissions on trucks that are actually impactful, not the international shipping emissions,' Springmann said. Also, food grown nearby tends to be grown in a way that fits with the local climate and is less harmful to the environment. 'We're not trying to grow oranges in some place in a greenhouse,' Purdy said. Butter and oil Plants win out over animals, again. Vegetable oils are less impactful than butter or lard. Springmann also said tropical oils are healthiest in moderation, such as those from coconuts or palms, because they have a higher fat content. Plus, palm oil is associated with deforestation. As for nut butters, almonds might be a great option for limiting carbon emissions, but they require a lot of water. One study out of Tulane University found that a serving of peanuts has an emissions footprint similar to almonds but 30% less impact on water use. Don't waste food Throwing less food away might sound obvious, but roughly a third of food grown in the U.S. is wasted. Meal planning, freezing leftovers and checking the fridge before heading to the grocery store all help cut waste. 'The climate impact, the embedded water use, all of the labor and different aspects that went into producing that food, that all gets wasted if we don't eat it,' Blackstone said. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
