Climate

Guest post: Greenland ice sheet shrinks for 30th year in a row

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 04/11/2026, 12:05:26 UTC.

Briefings

Greenland's surface mass balance reached a record low of 519 billion tonnes in the 2025-26 period, marking the 30th consecutive year of ice loss. This loss of approximately 135 billion tonnes in total mass balance, calculated using three climate models, indicates that the ice sheet is not only the largest current source of sea level rise but also serves as a preview of future trends for Antarctica. The data shows a clear downward trend in surface accumulation since the 1981-2010 average, with the 2025-26 figure being the sixth highest in a 46-year dataset.

Key points

• Greenland's surface mass balance reached a record low of 519 billion tonnes in the 2025-26 period, marking the 30th consecutive year of ice loss.
• The 12-month total mass balance loss of 135 billion tonnes was calculated using an average of three climate models.

Context

This finding is significant because scientists typically require 30 years of data to distinguish human-caused climate change from natural variations. The 2025-26 period represents the 30th year of continuous ice loss, confirming a consistent downward trend in the ice sheet's health.

Limitations

Data is limited to the 12-month period ending August 2026. Surface mass balance calculations rely on an average of three climate models, introducing uncertainty. The dataset covers 46 years, but specific regional breakdowns beyond Greenland are not detailed in this snapshot.

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