# Early aerial expedition photos reveal 85 years of glacier growth and stability in East Antarctica

## TL;DR

Old aerial photos show East Antarctic glaciers have remained stable or slightly thickened over 85 years, linked to snowfall trends.

## Contribution

The study provides the first long-term analysis of East Antarctic glaciers using pre-satellite aerial images from the 1930s.

## Key findings

- Ice surface elevations in Lützow-Holm Bay have remained constant since the 1930s.
- Glaciers along Kemp and Mac Robertson coasts thickened moderately since 1937.
- Long-term ice thickness changes correlate with snowfall trends since 1940.

## Abstract

During the last few decades, several sectors in Antarctica have transitioned from glacial mass balance equilibrium to mass loss. In order to determine if recent trends exceed the scale of natural variability, long-term observations are vital. Here we explore the earliest, large-scale, aerial image archive of Antarctica to provide a unique record of 21 outlet glaciers along the coastline of East Antarctica since the 1930s. In Lützow-Holm Bay, our results reveal constant ice surface elevations since the 1930s, and indications of a weakening of local land-fast sea-ice conditions. Along the coastline of Kemp and Mac Robertson, and Ingrid Christensen Coast, we observe a long-term moderate thickening of the glaciers since 1937 and 1960 with periodic thinning and decadal variability. In all regions, the long-term changes in ice thickness correspond with the trends in snowfall since 1940. Our results demonstrate that the stability and growth in ice elevations observed in terrestrial basins over the past few decades are part of a trend spanning at least a century, and highlight the importance of understanding long-term changes when interpreting current dynamics.

Pre-satellite era observations of Antarctic glaciers are rare. A unique record of aerial expedition images of East Antarctic outlet glaciers since the 1930s reveal long-term stability and moderate thickening.