Year: 2026
Type: data-paper
Abstract: The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are major drivers of global mean sea level rise and are predicted to continue to do so in the future. However, they also represent the largest source of uncertainty in projections of future sea level rise making robust estimates of observed ice sheet mass changes critical. Here, we compare and combine 42 independent estimates of ice sheet mass balance derived from satellite observations of temporal changes in ice sheet flow, volume, and gravitational attraction to determine the ice sheet mass balance from 1972 (Greenland) and 1979 (Antarctica) until 2023. We then use regional climate models to partition the total mass balance into contributions associated with surface mass balance and ice dynamical imbalance. The ice sheets lost 11,309 ± 565 billion tonnes of ice between 1979 and 2023, with glacier dynamical imbalance driving 84% of the ice loss and surface mass balance the remainder. This dataset can be used to track the contribution of the ice sheets to sea level rise and constrain projections of future sea level rise.
Source: Scientific Data
Authors: Inès N. Otosaka, Andrew Shepherd, Charles Amory, Martin Horwath, Erik R. Ivins, Michalea D. King, Sophie Nowicki, Anthony J. Payne, Eric Rignot, Louise Sandberg Sørensen, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Karen M. Simon, Benjamin E. Smith, Tyler C. Sutterley, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Isabella Velicogna, Geruo A, Cécile Agosta, Pavel Ditmar, Thorben Döhne, Marcus E. Engdahl, Xavier Fettweis, Rene Forsberg, Alex S. Gardner, Linda Gilbert, Heiko Goelzer, Noel Gourmelen, Andreas Groh, Nicolaj Hansen, Christopher Harig, Veit Helm, Shfaqat Abbas Khan, Christoph Kittel, Peter L. Langen, Mathias Larsen, Bryant D. Loomis, Malcolm McMillan, Brooke Medley, Daniele Melini, Ruth H. Mottram, Alan Muir, Johan Nilsson, Brice Noël, Mark E. Pattle, Mònica Roca i Aparici, Ingo Sasgen, Himanshu V. Save, Bernd Scheuchl, Ernst J. O. Schrama, Ludwig Schröder, Ki-Weon Seo, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Thomas Slater, Giorgio Spada, Bramha Dutt Vishwakarma, Nander Wever, David N. Wiese, Bert Wouters
Institutions: Northumbria University, Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Université Grenoble Alpes, Technische Universität Dresden, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, University of Liverpool, University of California, Irvine, DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Utrecht University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Delft University of Technology, European Space Agency, University of Liège, University College London, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, NORCE Research AS, University of Edinburgh, Danish Meteorological Institute, University of Arizona, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Aarhus University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Lancaster University, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Uppsala University, University of Augsburg, The University of Texas at Austin, Seoul National University, University of Bologna, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,490
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, European Space Agency, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Swedish National Space Agency, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Novo Nordisk, Norges Forskningsråd, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Helmholtz Association, Netherlands Earth System Science Centre, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Natural Environment Research Council
Awards: G1374791981, G1956469828, G2090172734, G209463340, G2230720350, PROjecTing sEa-level rise : from iCe sheets to local implicaTions, G2676722403, G3126070402, G3259847840, G3335204946, G341317036, G3648211085, UK EO Climate Information Service (UKEO-CIS), Verbundprojekt: GROCE II - Grönland Eisschild/Ozean Wechselwirkung - Vom Prozessverständnis zur Beurteilung eines gekoppelten, regionalen Systems im Wandel, Vorhaben: Glazial-isostatischer Ausgleich, Massenbilanz und Dynamik des grönländischen Eisschilds, G509610763, G5488700989, G5563375541, G5668576359, G6288229579, G7620360420, G7664062879, G7768013358, Tapping 802.11 Access Point Infrastructure for Fine-Grained Indoor Location, G7941627367, G830101876, G889654587, G8897726537, PRESCIENT: UK Polar Research Expertise for Science and Society, G962549312
OpenAlex ID: W7167603333