At the invitation of Prof. Mu Cuicui from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, and Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, China, Prof. Zheng Lei from Sun Yat-sen University visited our university for academic exchange and delivered a lecture on September 2, 2025.

Reporter: Prof. Zheng Lei, School of Geospatial Engineering and Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University

Title: Satellite Remote Sensing Reveals a Sharp Increase in Polar Ice Sheet Meltwater Volume

Moderator: Prof. Mu Cuicui, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University

Time: 16:00-18:00, September 2, 2025 (Tuesday)

Venue: Meeting Room 502, Qilian Hall, Chengguan Campus, Lanzhou University

Reporter Profile:

Zheng Lei, Professor at the School of Geospatial Engineering and Science, Sun Yat-sen University, and a Yat-sen Distinguished Scholar. His primary research focuses on snow and ice remote sensing, modeling of cryospheric surface processes, and polar climate change studies. He has presided over several prestigious research projects, including the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, the National Key R&D Program Project, and both General and Special Funding Projects of the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. With over 60 high-impact SCI papers published in top-tier remote sensing and geoscience journals such as Nature Climate Change, Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Remote Sensing of Environment (RSE), Journal of Climate, and The Cryosphere, his work has been recognized as a research highlight by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Professor Zheng has participated in the 38th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition and multiple scientific expeditions to the Tibetan Plateau. He has played a key role in the development and implementation of a near-real-time ice sheet monitoring system using domestic satellites, accessible at: (http://www.orsc.hellosea.org.cn/iceRealtimeSys/#/).

Report Abstract:

Under the context of global warming, the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting at an unprecedented rate, contributing significantly to global sea-level rise. Due to the extreme polar environments and the scarcity of in situ observational data, scientists have primarily relied on regional climate models for large-scale, long-term estimates of meltwater volume from ice sheets. However, the lack of direct observational validation has raised concerns regarding the accuracy of these estimates.

This study integrates spaceborne microwave radiometer data with in situ ice sheet observations, and combines a physical model of surface snowmelt processes with a machine learning algorithm to achieve a breakthrough in quantitatively retrieving the melt extent of polar ice sheets. Through observational analysis, the research quantifies the amplifying effect of Arctic sea ice loss on the ablation of the western Greenland ice sheet, establishing a close linkage within the Arctic ice-ocean-atmosphere system.

Furthermore, the study reveals that while the Montreal Protocol—an international agreement designed to protect the Earth's environment—has successfully facilitated the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole, it has inadvertently intensified the melting of the East Antarctic ice sheet. This has turned the region into a new epicenter of accelerated melt, underscoring the complexity of Earth system responses.

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University

September 23, 2025