source-library/climate_change/ice_loss.md

Ice Loss

Ice loss is occuring rapidly on both poles

• European Environmental Agency 16

  • Greenland Ice Loss from 1992 to 2015 was 3,600 Gigatonnes (3,500,000,000,000,000 Kilograms)
  • Contributed to global sea level rise by approximately 10 mm;
  • Antarctica loss is 1,500 Gigatonnes (1,500,000,000,000,000 Kilograms)
  • Corresponds to approximately a 5 mm global sea level rise since 1992.
  • Model projections suggest further declines of the polar ice sheets in the future, but the uncertainties are large.
  • The melting of the polar ice sheets is estimated to contribute up to 50 cm of global sea level rise during the 21st century.