A new study led by researchers at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and contributions from DTU Space show how Antarctica is increasingly mirroring processes long observed in Greenland. Scientists refer to this as “greenlandification”, a shift marked by faster ice melt, ice shelf collapse, and accelerating ice loss to the ocean.

The study, The Greenlandification of Antarctica, have just been published in Nature Geoscience, highlights how knowledge from Greenland can now help us understand the rapid changes unfolding in the southern hemisphere.

For decades, Greenland’s ice sheet has been a powerful symbol of climate change. Yet for Denmark, Antarctica’s ice is even more critical. Melting in Antarctica redistributes ocean water in ways that amplify sea level rise in northern latitudes. Put simply, one cubic metre of Antarctic ice loss raises sea levels around Denmark more than the same loss from Greenland.

“Antarctica was long thought to be more stable than the Arctic. But satellites now reveal a different picture: shrinking ice shelves, faster-flowing glaciers, retreating sea ice, and a net loss of ice from the Antarctic ice sheet,” explains Ruth Mottram, climate researcher at DMI’s National Centre for Climate Research (NCKF). “This is dramatic, because the Antarctic ice masses have an enormous potential to raise sea levels—and we’ve already seen similar processes in Greenland.”

Since the 1990s, Antarctica has contributed around 7 millimetres to global sea level rise. While this number may sound small, the Antarctic ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels by more than 50 metres. Even the loss of West Antarctica alone could result in several metres of rise—posing serious risks for Denmark’s low-lying coasts, coastal towns, and infrastructure.

The research combines satellite measurements, from gravity field changes to ice flow speeds and surface temperatures, with climate models to project future scenarios. While uncertainties remain, one thing is clear: Antarctica’s role in sea level rise will only become more significant.

“Paradoxically, it is changes on the far side of the globe that will shape Denmark’s future coastlines,” notes Rasmus Anker Pedersen, unit manager at NCKF. “By applying what we have learned from Greenland, we can improve our forecasts, support climate adaptation, and guide decision-making for the future.”

DTU Space’s Cryosphere Group also contributed to the study, drawing on decades of experience with Earth observation of Greenland.

“Our long-standing work on Greenland provides essential context for interpreting what we now observe in Antarctica,” says Sebastian B. Simonsen, Senior Scientist at DTU Space. “It is rewarding to see how our expertise in Greenlandic ice dynamics and satellite observations can directly inform understanding of Antarctic change.”