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 27/10/2026, 15:05:24 UTC.

Briefings

Greenland's surface mass balance reached its sixth-highest level in 46 years, yet the ice sheet lost 135 billion tonnes in total mass balance over the 12 months to August 2026. This marks the 30th consecutive year of decline, a period that aligns with the 1981-2010 average and exceeds the 2011-12 record low. The loss occurred despite a relatively cool summer with less surface melt than previous years, indicating that the ice sheet is not responding to extreme weather events. The findings are based on data from the Polar Portal and Carbon Brief analyses using three climate models.

Key points

• Greenland's surface mass balance reached its sixth-highest level in 46 years, with an annual gain of 519 billion tonnes.
• The ice sheet lost 135 billion tonnes in total mass balance over the 12 months to August 2026, marking the 30th consecutive year of decline.

Context

This finding is significant because it represents the 30th consecutive year of ice loss, a duration typically required to separate the 'fingerprint' of human-caused climate change from natural variations. The data indicates that Greenland is not only the largest present-day source of ice-driven sea level rise but also serves as a preview of future trends for Antarctica's ice sheet.

Limitations

Data covers the 12-month period to August 2026 and is limited to the 1981-2010 average for comparison. The analysis relies on three climate models and does not account for all factors affecting ice loss, such as iceberg calving or glacier front melting, which are included in the total mass balance calculation.

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