Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979

Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, raising global sea levels by around 3.2 centimetres, according to a major scientific study.

The researchers found that ice loss has accelerated in recent decades, particularly since the 1990s.

Most of the loss is linked to warmer ocean temperatures, which cause glaciers to discharge more ice into the sea.

The study combines satellite observations covering more than four decades. It extends the record back to 1979 for Antarctica and 1972 for Greenland.

The data shows the ice sheets were relatively stable through the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s.

Ice loss then increased, with the strongest acceleration recorded during the 2010s.

“There is a clear trend that the ice sheets are losing more mass and it has been increasing from decade to decade,” says Inès Otosaka, an ice scientist at Northumbria University.

She says the changes were clearly linked to rising air and ocean temperatures.