A Reconciled Estimate of Ice-Sheet Mass Balance

Warming and Melting Mass loss from the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica account for a large fraction of global sea-level rise. Part of this loss is because of the effects of warmer air temperatures, and another because of the rising ocean temperatures to which they are being exposed. Joughin et al. (p. 1172 ) review how ocean-ice interactions are impacting ice sheets and discuss the possible ways that exposure of floating ice shelves and grounded ice margins are subject to the influences of warming ocean currents. Estimates of the mass balance of the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica have differed greatly—in some cases, not even agreeing about whether there is a net loss or a net gain—making it more…

• SR
  Sight Research UK

  Awards: bas0100027, cpom20001, NE/I010874/1, NE/F014260/1, NE/E004806/1, NE/E007023/1, NE/E014089/1
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Awards: NE/E004806/1, cpom20001, bas0100027, NE/F014260/1, NE/E014089/1, NE/I010874/1, NE/E007023/1