Half a century of ice loss in Northwest Greenland, reconciled across three methods
1st October 2026
Research led by CPOM Co-Director for Science, Dr Inès Otosaka (Northumbria University), and published this week in JGR Earth Surface, has produced a 52-year record of ice sheet mass change in Northwest Greenland.
The study compares the input-output method, satellite gravimetry, and satellite altimetry when producing mass balance estimates for 74 glaciers in Northwest Greenland.
Key findings of the study.
The three methods agreed closely, except for two glacier catchment areas.
This region has lost ice year on year since 1997.
Ice loss was at its most rapid in the 2010s, five times faster than in the 1970s.
Since 2020, the rate of ice loss has slowed by 63%.
Ice loss was six times faster during the 2010s than in the 1970s.
The close agreement of these methods builds confidence in satellite estimates of ice sheet mass balance at a local scale and in their use to calibrate model simulations of regional change. This understanding is important in ensuring accurate sea level rise projections.
