Satellite mapping reveals Antarctica has lost grounded ice equivalent to ten Los Angeles areas over thirty years

A 30-year satellite study reveals Antarctica has lost 4,942 square miles of grounded ice, with West Antarctic glaciers retreating up to 26 miles.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Anastasia Scott

Mapping the boundaries of continental ice stability

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides the first complete map of Antarctica’s grounding line, the critical interface where land-based ice transitions into floating ice shelves. By analyzing three decades of radar data from multiple satellite missions, scientists have uncovered a dual reality of the southern continent. While the vast majority of the coastline has remained geographically fixed since 1996, specific "wounds" in the ice sheet are retreating rapidly, signaling significant regional instability.

Quantifying three decades of grounded ice loss

Since 1996, Antarctica has lost roughly 12,800 square kilometers of grounded ice. To provide a sense of scale, researchers compare this loss to the size of Greater Los Angeles, noting that an area of that magnitude has vanished every three years. On average, the grounding line has retreated by 442 square kilometers annually. However, these figures are heavily skewed by extreme activity in West Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea and Getz sectors, where the most dramatic changes were recorded.

Extreme retreat in West Antarctic glaciers

The study highlights several glaciers that have experienced extraordinary levels of recession. Smith Glacier recorded the most significant retreat, pulling back 26 miles over the study period. Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier followed with retreats of 20.5 miles and 16 miles, respectively. Lead author Eric Rignot noted that these areas are particularly susceptible to warm ocean water being pushed by winds toward the glaciers, thinning the ice from below and causing the grounded ice upstream to slide backward into the sea.