Greenland Ice Cap Shrinks as Polar Sheets Lose 11 Trillion Tons

Two separate research reports describe substantial ice loss in the polar regions. One, from Hokkaido University, tracks the Qaanaaq Ice Cap in northwestern Greenland over a 13-year field record. The other, covered by AGU Eos, calculates combined ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets since the 1970s. Both agree that ice loss is significant, but they differ sharply in scope, method, and time period.

The Qaanaaq study is a local, direct measurement. Researchers returned each summer and used aluminum poles drilled into the ice to record changes in the surface. Between 2012 and 2025, the ice cap lost enough mass to cover its area with about 8 meters of water. This gives a detailed picture of one specific ice cap.

The broader estimate takes a continental view. Researchers calculated that Greenland and Antarctica together have lost 11 trillion metric tons of ice since the 1970s, enough to raise global sea level by more than 3 centimeters. While the two sources cover different periods and regions, they complement each other: one provides precise on-the-ground change, the other shows the cumulative global impact.