Greenland ice sheet shrinks for 30th consecutive year
The world's second-largest ice sheet lost 135 billion tonnes of ice in 12 months to August 2026, marking three decades of continuous annual loss.
What to know
- Greenland has now experienced 30 consecutive years of net ice loss—a threshold scientists use to confirm the fingerprint of human-caused climate change rather than natural variation.
- The ice sheet lost approximately 135 billion tonnes over 12 months to August 2026, with this loss occurring despite cooler-than-recent-average summer conditions and less surface melt than previous years.
- Melting processes long seen in Greenland are increasingly appearing in Antarctica, suggesting the world's largest ice sheet may follow a similar trajectory, with major implications for sea level rise.
“This major ice loss came as the region experienced a relatively cool start to summer and less surface melt than in previous years. In other words, it was not an 'extreme' year for weather in Greenland – and, yet, the ice sheet ended firmly in the red.”
Martin Stendel and Ruth Mottram, Climate scientists · Carbon Brief ↗ · Oct 26
Dr Martin Stendel Climate scientist, Danish Meteorological InstituteProf Ruth Mottram Climate scientist, DMI and Aarhus UniversityPolar Portal Danish Meteorological Institute ice monitoring program
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Polar Portal releases annual ice sheet assessment with Antarctic data
The Danish Meteorological Institute's Polar Portal releases the annual state report, which this year includes new Antarctic data alongside Greenland observations. Three different models estimate ice loss at 135 gigatonnes, with observations showing 173 gigatonnes. The last year Greenland gained ice was 1995-96.
“The loss in 2025/26 was 173 Gt (=173 km³). The average of three different models gives a loss of 135 Gt. In either case, the last year with an ice gain was 1995/96.”
— Martin Stendel -
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The traditional state of the Greenland Ice Sheet, at @ carbonbrief , written by @ Ruth_Mottram and myself and this year augmented by Antarctic data, is out! The Greenland Ice Sheet shrinks for the 30ᵗʰ year in a row. Based on a mixture of observations and model data, the loss in 2025/26 was 173 Gt (=173 km³). The average of three different models…
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'Greenland ice sheet shrinks for 30th yr… Over 12-mth period to Aug 2026, world’s 2nd-largest ice sheet lost around 135bn tonnes of ice. This major ice loss came as region experienced a relatively cool start to summer & less surface melt than in previous yrs.'
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Ruth Mottram describes the findings as "predictably depressing"
Co-author Prof Ruth Mottram shares the Carbon Brief analysis on Mastodon, characterizing the results with a tone of resignation about the ongoing ice loss trend.
“Meanwhile, our @carbonbrief guest post on the state of the #Greenland #IceSheet this year is out and predictably depressing...”
— Ruth Mottram -
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Meanwhile, our @ carbonbrief guest post on the state of the # Greenland # IceSheet this year is out and predictably depressing... https://www. carbonbrief.org/guest-post-gre enland-ice-sheet-shrinks-for-30th-year-in-a-row
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Carbon Brief publishes Greenland ice sheet analysis
Carbon Brief publishes a guest post by climate scientists Martin Stendel and Ruth Mottram documenting Greenland's 30th consecutive year of net ice loss. Over the 12-month period to August 2026, the ice sheet lost around 135 billion tonnes of ice despite a relatively cool summer with less surface melt than previous years.
“Three decades of continuous ice loss in Greenland is significant, given that scientists typically need 30 years of data to separate the 'fingerprint' of human-caused climate change from natural variations.”
— Martin Stendel and Ruth Mottram -
first by Carbon Brief, 12d ago
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