Ice Sheets Lose 12.5 Trillion Tons in 47 Years, Nudging Global Sea Levels Higher

An international study using 45 independent surveys and 27 satellites finds Greenland and Antarctica have melted about 12.5 trillion tons of ice since 1979, raising global sea levels by roughly 1 inch; most melt comes from warmer ocean waters attacking the ice from below and at the edges, with dynamic glacier loss accelerating even as a short pause occurred around 2020–2023. Greenland’s Jakobshavn glacier is retreating as much as 50 meters per day, and Antarctic mass loss is rising, underscoring long‑term coastal risks driven by a warming ocean.