Climate changes that began ~ 17,700 years ago included a sudden poleward shift in westerly winds encircling Antarctica with
corresponding changes in sea ice extent, ocean circulation, and ventilation of the deep ocean.
Thirteen years of GRACE data provide an excellent picture of the current mass
changes of Greenland and Antarctica, with mass loss
in the GRACE period 2002 - 15 amounting to 265 ± 25 GT / yr for Greenland (including peripheral
ice caps), and 95 ± 50 GT / year for Antarctica,
corresponding to 0.72 mm / year and 0.26 mm / year average global
sea level
change.