Is the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic growing?
No – there may be some seasonal changes but the overall trend is for melting. Arctic ice is shrinking significantly (by 20% in area and 40% in thickness since around the mid 1970s (according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center), but Antarctic ice is actually increasing. Antarctic sea ice is showing no significant change, whereas Antarctic land ice is actually growing owing to increased precipitation (the latter caused by global warming (according to the British Antarctic Survey). The Climate Change film pack – Guidance for teaching staff 64.
