Scientists studying Antarctica have gained new insights into how the world’s biggest ice sheet is reacting to warming sea temperatures. The study uses three decades of radar satellite observations to map changes in grounding lines across the Antarctic continent from 1992 to 2025. It found that grounding lines were stable along more than 77 percent of Antarctica’s coastline, including major ice shelves such as Ross, Filchner-Ronne and Amery.
However, the research also detected significant retreat in vulnerable regions. These maps zoom in on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and, in particular, around the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, which are two of the most affected regions.
The study is based on data from several satellite missions including Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ERS.
Image Credit: ESA (data source: Rignot et al, 2026).
