The East Antarctic Ice Sheet has experienced a surprising increase in ice mass between 2021 and 2023, a development that deviates from recent decades of Antarctic ice loss. This phenomenon, detailed in a study published in *Science China Earth Sciences*, indicates an average annual ice gain of approximately 108 gigatons in regions like Wilkes Land and Queen Mary Land. Researchers utilized data from NASA's GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites to analyze these changes.
This localized growth is attributed to a warmer, more moisture-laden atmosphere leading to heavier snowfall. This increased precipitation has temporarily offset global sea-level rise by an estimated 0.3 mm per year, impacting glaciers such as Totten, Denman, and Moscow. However, scientists caution that this does not signal a slowdown in global warming, as West Antarctica continues to experience significant ice loss, and the overall balance of Antarctic ice remains negative. The study also notes that the extreme snowfall trend observed between 2021 and 2023 may have receded by 2025, with precipitation returning to pre-2020 levels, underscoring the transient nature of these events. Atmospheric rivers have historically contributed to extreme snowfall in East Antarctica, accounting for up to 70% of such events since the 1980s, though they can also lead to melting and instability.