A study using satellite data found that Greenland and Antarctica lost over 11,000 billion tonnes of ice over 44 years, with glaciers accounting for 84% of the loss.

Phys.org, Gizmodo, AP + 4 more · Humanitarian & Biosphere

17 Sept 20267 outlets

What it means

A new study published in Nature Scientific Data combined satellite observations to calculate that the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost a combined 11,309 (gigatonnes) of ice between 1979 and 2023, raising global sea levels by 31.4 millimeters. The study attributes 84% of the loss to accelerated ice flow into the ocean () rather than surface melting, marking the most comprehensive consistent satellite assessment of ice sheet mass balance over that period.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is directly from a peer-reviewed paper in Nature Scientific Data, a reputable scientific journal, which analyzed satellite data from multiple missions. The reporting by multiple major news outlets (AP, New Scientist, etc.) closely matches the paper's stated findings, making the claim highly reliable.

How new

The study and accompanying news coverage were first published on September 16, 2026, making this genuinely new research.

A study using satellite data found that Greenland and Antarctica lost over 11,000 billion tonnes of ice over 44 years, with glaciers accounting for 84% of the loss.

What it means

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

How new

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