A study titled Planeta em Degelo (“Thawing Planet”), based on new data from the Brazilian Antarctic Program (Proantar), warns of the acceleration in glacier melting, which totaled 9,179 gigatons since 1976, threatening coastal cities primarily. Nearly all (98%) of this volume reached the oceans in liquid form since 1990, and 41% just from 2015 to 2024.
In an interview with Agência Brasil on Monday (March 2), biologist Ronaldo Christofoletti, a professor at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), stated that extreme rains, intense heat, more frequent and extensive fires, and accelerated ice melt are all symptoms of global warming – and this connection needs to be understood by society.
“They are basically all the same thing, just with different appearances. And all reinforce that the planet’s dynamics are really changing,” said the scientist, who is part of the program’s communication project – ComAntar – and spoke to the reporter by phone from Antarctica.
Each gigaton corresponds to a trillion kilograms, meaning the total melted is equivalent to 18,000 times the mass of the entire current world population.
Published on February 26, the study also states that, since 1976, the cumulative glacier loss equals about 9,000 km³ of water – a volume similar to that discharged by the Amazon River into the Atlantic Ocean in 470 days.
Most of the melted volume came from Antarctica and Greenland, regions where the loss reached 8,000 gigatons since 2002.
This means that, in just over two decades, the loss observed in the polar ice caps reached what all the world’s glaciers lost in nearly 50 years, signaling an even faster pace.
“The glaciers are turning into water. And this water will make sea levels rise. As a result, the sea will rise and reclaim a portion of the continents for this water to occupy. It’s a process,” pointed out the specialist.
The study is based on consolidated records from the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) and the Carbmet Project of Proantar.
Global warming
Christofoletti points out that the accelerated melting is linked to record temperatures recorded in recent years, with 2023, 2024, and 2025 among the hottest in history.
“We need to recognize that this is happening and adapt our cities so they can care for their coasts and coastal erosion, acknowledging that there will be loss of land area.”
Another problem caused by ice melting is the change in ocean salinity, as glacier water is fresh and further dilutes the salt concentration in seawater. This phenomenon weakens the ocean currents that transport cold water from Antarctica to the tropics and impacts the climate of the entire planet, said the researcher.
In the case of Brazil, the data indicate that, despite the geographical distance, polar regions play a prominent role in climate regulation. Changes in Antarctic ocean circulation influence the formation of deep water masses that distribute heat around the planet.
“These changes can have repercussions in the South Atlantic, affecting rainfall patterns, cold fronts, and extreme events in Brazil.”
Environmental education
To address this situation, Ronaldo Christofoletti argues that education is fundamental. He cites the Brazilian government’s Currículo Azul initiative, which incorporates ocean education into school curricula.
“We call it ocean culture, but it’s not about the ocean, it’s about understanding the planet we live on, 70% of which is ocean,” he said.
Education leads to behavior change, argued Christofoletti. “People need to know what’s happening and understand this process and its relation to their lives.”
The researcher also emphasized the importance of fulfilling the agreements signed during the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém to advance energy transition and replace fuels that cause greenhouse gas emissions. This change is essential to minimize the global warming problem.
Until that happens, however, he believes more immediate measures are necessary, such as the adaptation of coastal cities.
During COP30, ComAntar released a document showing that the increase in disasters is closely related to cold fronts and cyclones. In the study, ComAntar researchers show that the frequency of disasters due to cold fronts and cyclones on the coast has increased 19 times in the last 30 years.
Brazilian Antarctic Program
Proantar is led by the Brazilian Navy, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The program is one of Brazil’s longest-running, with 44 years of uninterrupted operation.
Source: Agência Brasil