Antarctica gained 695 billion tons in 2021-23 as tropical warmth drove heavy snowfall

Representative Image (AI-generated) Antarctica has been losing mass for years as glaciers shed ice into the ocean, contributing to rising sea levels. But between 2021 and 2023, the continent experienced an unusual and temporary reversal. Instead of continuing to lose mass at its recent rate, Antarctica gained about 695 billion tonnes over 22 months, marking its largest 22-month mass gain in the past two decades. A study published in Nature found that the unusual increase was largely driven by exceptional snowfall in parts of East Antarctica. The researchers found that the continent's average mass loss was about 140.5 billion tonnes per year between 2003 and 2024, but the balance changed sharply between July 2021 and April 2023. The study linked the snowfall surge to persistent warming in a region of the tropical ocean known as the tropical warm pool.Antarctica's unusual ice gainThe biggest changes occurred in East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, while parts of West Antarctica continued to lose mass. The strongest accumulation was recorded across Queen Mary Land and Wilkes Land, where researchers estimated a gain of about 470 billion tonnes. The researchers compared satellit...