Snowfall and clouds may slow East Antarctic ice loss, a study finds

A 100,000-year simulation by researchers at the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University suggests the East Antarctic Ice Sheet stays comparatively stable even above 10°C of warming.

Simulated warming above pre-industrial levels

• West Antarctica: major ice loss above about 2°C
• Greenland: disappears above about 6°C
• East Antarctica: stable even above 10°C

In the simulations, West Antarctica loses major ice above about 2°C of warming and Greenland disappears above about 6°C, while East Antarctica holds.

Warmer air carries more moisture to Antarctica, and shifting winds push more of it inland, where it falls as snow. More cloud also cuts the sunlight reaching the ice and limits melting.

The authors say Antarctica is not immune: West Antarctica still loses significant ice that could speed up sea-level rise, and their model is too coarse to capture melting beneath ice shelves.