New research shows that the Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) may have grown for the first time in nearly two decades, but it is up to us to ensure that this growth is not just a fluke, and can continue and spread throughout the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) while encouraging further progress and stopping ice melt. 

Researchers from Tongji University in Shanghai, China, recently published a paper that reveals the eastern side of the AIS grew by 108 gigatons of ice per year from 2021 to 2023. Prior to this unexpected growth, the researchers found that the AIS was losing 142 gigatons per year from 2011 to 2020.

The western side of the AIS, however, contains what is known as the ‘Doomsday Glacier’, or the Thwaites Glacier, “nicknamed because its collapse could cause catastrophic sea level rise,’ according to CNN. The Thwaites Glacier has been rapidly losing mass since the 1940s, with billions of tons of sea ice melting into the ocean each year.

The EAIS growth is proving that it is possible to not only slow AIS ice melt, but to rebound, which many were skeptical of. While this growth is likely due to increased precipitation, it is up to global policy changes and daily human-environment interactions to ensure we are taking all possible measures to protect the Antarctic region and encourage growth of the Antarctic Sea Ice, which we now see is possible, in addition to increased needs for enhanced protection in the western region.

Some of the strongest measures to slow ice melt and support regrowth are global treaties to protect the Antarctic waters and regulations that encourage activities to slow global warming. Some of the current measures and agreements in place include the Polar Code, Marine Protected Areas, the Paris Agreement, and more. But this work is not done. 

Only about 5% of the Southern Ocean is fully protected, and 12% is generally protected under a Marine Protected Area (MPA). To truly safeguard the Antarctic region, slow ice melt and encourage growth, it is crucial that we expand the Southern Ocean MPAs. Doing so preserves the region from harmful tourist activity and fishing practices. 

Already in place, and signed in 1991, is the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The treaty includes principles for human activities in Antarctica and “prohibits all activities relating to Antarctic mineral resources, except for scientific research.” Through the Protocol, a Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) was formed, which meets every year to discuss the implementation of the Environment Protocol, and includes dialogue on “environmental consequences of climate change in the Antarctic region” and “management of environmental impacts of tourism and non-governmental activities.”

The Environmental Protocol complements the longstanding Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, whose primary purpose revolves around keeping peace in the Antarctic region, in addition to promoting scientific research and international cooperation. 

Annually, the Parties to the Antarctic Treaty come together for the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting “for the purpose of exchanging information, consulting together on matters of common interest pertaining to Antarctica, and formulating and considering and recommending to their Governments measures in furtherance of the principles and objectives of the Treaty,” according to Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty. 

There are also a variety of experimental techniques being researched that could help cool the atmosphere or target Antarctic restoration directly, particularly through geoengineering. While controversial, some of the strategies being explored include Solar Radiation Management and underwater barriers.

Research suggests that the Antarctic region is warming faster than the global average. It is up to us to stop the growth of anthropogenic climate change, not just through treaties, policies and agreements, but through our overall human activities. The melting of the Western region, combined with the probable new growth of the Eastern region, shows the potential for positive change and is a reminder that it is not too late to take action.