SHANGHAI: In a surprising turn, Antarctica has seen massive ice sheet gained over 100 billion tons of ice in 2021, according to a recent study by researchers at Tongji University. But before we get too excited, scientists say it’s more of a weather blip than a climate win.
Using satellite data from NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO missions, scientists have been tracking the icy continent’s weight for more than two decades. From 2002 to 2020, the Antarctic Ice Sheet was steadily melting—losing billions of tons of ice each year and raising global sea levels. But then, in 2021, something strange happened: Antarctica bulked up.
The reason? A spike in snowfall. The study points to increased precipitation as the main driver behind the ice gain. That said, it doesn’t cancel out the long-term losses we’ve seen since the early 2000s. In fact, between 2002 and 2010, the continent was losing about 81 billion tons of ice annually. That number nearly doubled in the next decade, hitting around 157 billion tons lost per year.
So yes, 2021 was a rare year where Antarctica saw a net gain—but experts are clear that the broader trend still points to long-term melting. “This one-year gain shouldn’t be seen as a turning point,” said the researchers. “It’s more like a pause in an otherwise serious problem.”
The study reminds us that climate change doesn’t move in a straight line. It’s full of ups, downs, and anomalies—but the long game still matters most.
