Greenland and Antarctica Dominate Recent Acceleration in Global Mean Sea Level Rise: 1993–2023
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Global mean sea level (GMSL) rise has accelerated over the last three decades, with satellite altimetry indicating an acceleration of 0.07 ± 0.03 mm/yr 2 over 1993–2023. However, the specific contributions of Greenland and Antarctica to this acceleration budget have remained insufficiently quantified. We extend satellite gravimetry estimates of Greenland and Antarctica ice mass changes back to 1993, enabling a comprehensive 31‐year assessment of their contributions to GMSL acceleration and providing an independent record for cross‐validation with other observational and modeling data sets. Ice mass loss has accelerated by −8.5 ± 4.0 Gt/yr 2 for Greenland and −4.6 ± 1.3 Gt/yr 2 for Antarctica from 1993 to 2023. These results are consistent across multiple data sets and collectively account for 51% of the observed GMSL acceleration. Mountain glaciers contribute an additional 0.01 mm/yr 2 to GMSL acceleration, bringing the total land ice contribution to 0.05 ± 0.01 mm/yr 2 and thereby partially closing the budget.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2026gl123478
Language: English
Subfield: Geophysics
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W7225806005