The growing ice sheet

Sci Tech Daily reports:

Previous studies have consistently shown a long-term trend of mass loss, particularly in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, while glaciers in East Antarctica appeared relatively stable. However, a recent study led by Dr. Wang and Prof. Shen at Tongji University has found a surprising shift: between 2021 and 2023, the AIS experienced a record-breaking increase in overall mass.

This is very good news. This doesn’t mean of course temperatures are not rising (they are) and that sea levels are not increasing (they are, but modestly). But what it reinforces is the climate system is very complex, and we don’t understand all aspects of it.

So a very clear trend of ice loss from 2002 to 2020, and then an abrupt gain.

In terms of sea level, the melting ice was increasing sea levels by 0.4 ml/yr but since 2021 it has been offsetting any increase by 0.3 ml/yr.