Antarctica's Ice Sheet Shows Unexpected Growth, Offsetting Sea Level Rise

Antarctica's massive ice sheet, a major contributor to rising sea levels, has shown surprising growth between 2021 and 2023. A study in *Science China Earth Sciences* reveals a record-breaking mass gain of approximately 108 gigatons per year. This growth temporarily offset global sea level rise by about 0.3 millimeters per year. The rebound is significant in East Antarctica, particularly in Wilkes Land and Queen Mary Land, including the Totten, Denman, Moscow University, and Vincennes Bay glacier basins. Researchers attribute the growth to anomalous increases in precipitation. Scientists caution that these gains may be temporary and linked to unusual weather patterns, not a reversal of the overall climate crisis.