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Antarctic Ice Sheet Thickness: From Coastal Margins to Continental Peak

The Antarctic ice sheet holds 90% of Earth's ice and 70% of its freshwater. Its thickness varies dramatically across the continent's 14M km².

Key Statistics

Maximum thickness: 4,800m (15,748 ft) — Astrolabe Subglacial Basin, Adélie Land
Average thickness: 2,160m (7,087 ft)
Minimum thickness: <100m at coastal margins, ice shelf fronts
Total ice volume: ~26.5M km³
Sea level equivalent: 58m if fully melted

East vs. West Antarctica

Feature	East Antarctica	West Antarctica
Ice thickness	Thicker (3,000–4,800m avg)	Thinner (1,500–2,500m avg)
Bedrock elevation	Mostly above sea level	Mostly below sea level (marine-based)
Stability	Relatively stable	Vulnerable to marine ice sheet instability
Major features	Lambert Glacier, Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, Gamburtsev Mts	Thwaites & Pine Island Glaciers, Ross Ice Shelf

What Drives Thickness Variation

Accumulation: Interior plateau receives <50mm/year (polar desert); coasts get 200–1,000mm
Flow dynamics: Ice flows from thick interior to thin margins via glaciers/ice streams
Basal melting: Geothermal heat + ocean warming thins from below (esp. WAIS)
Bedrock topography: Subglacial mountains (Gamburtsevs) anchor thick ice; deep basins allow accumulation

Measurement Methods

Radar sounding (airborne/ground), satellite altimetry (ICESat-2, CryoSat-2), gravimetry (GRACE-FO), seismic surveys. Bedmap3 (2023) provides latest continental compilation.

Why It Matters

Thickness determines ice sheet stability, sea level contribution, and paleoclimate archive quality. West Antarctic thinning (Thwaites "Doomsday Glacier") is the largest uncertainty in 21st-century sea level projections.

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Ski Trips