Antarctica records massive 695 billion-ton ice gain in just two years

Antarctica gained about 695 billion tons of ice between 2021 and 2023, marking the largest mass increase recorded by GRACE satellites, according to SciTechDaily.

Researchers found that sustained warming in the tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean altered atmospheric circulation, directing more moisture toward East Antarctica and triggering unusually heavy snowfall, the report said.

The study, published in Nature, noted that the gain temporarily slowed Antarctica’s long-term ice loss, which has averaged about 140.5 billion tons annually since 2003, SciTechDaily reported.

Scientists stressed that the increase does not signal a reversal of Antarctica’s overall ice-loss trend. West Antarctica continues to lose ice, while warmer ocean waters are contributing to melting beneath some ice shelves.