CLIMATE ACTION IN ALASKA

Land ice is growing in Antarctica?

Using this talking point requires a person to cherry-pick the only study ever, out of more than a dozen, to conclude Antarctic land ice mass is increasing.  That study used laser altimetry over only part of Antarctica and extrapolated mass based on a snow density equation, which is notoriously variable.  All other studies show Antarctica's land ice mass to be decreasing.


The more accurate method of measuring mass comes from NASA's GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites, which measure local variations in Earth's gravity over time, and are extremely well-suited to determine changes in local mass.  Located about 250 miles up and separated by about 140 miles, these twin satellites measure the gap between them to a precision equal to 1/10 of the thickness of a human hair.  As the lead satellite approaches a mountain range or glacier, the local gravity causes it to speed up, and the distance between the satellites grows - only to shrink again after the lead satellite passes the mass, and then shrink and grow again as the second satellite passes over the same area.  Over time, changes in local variations in Earth's gravity field show movement of groundwater and changes in glaciers.  These results are far more precise than an intermittent laser altimetry study could be.  


Antarctic land ice mass is not only decreasing, but that decrease is accelerating.