Melting ice from the coast of Greenland is already adding to rising sea levels faster than scientists previously thought, said a new study.

Experts apparently overlooked the repercussions of global warming on Greenland's immense ice sheets melting at a faster rate. The ice sheet spans over 1.7 million square kilometers, which is three times the size of Texas.

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Scientists predict that when the ice melts, all of the world's seas and oceans will rise by as much as 20 feet. This outcome will cause extensive damage to coastal communities and island nations such as Kiribati. By the year 2100, ice sheet melts from Greenland could contribute to a 22 centimeter rise in global sea levels.

Scientists said Greenland's lakes formed from melted ice and snow will transform into "supergalcial" lakes that will overflow and spread further inland as Arctic temperatures rise. In 2060, these lakes will cover twice as much land in Greenland.

These increasingly large inland lakes add to rising sea temperatures by causing fractures in the ice that will reach the ice sheet base. When lake water reaches the base, it will cause the ice to melt faster, thereby flowing more rapidly into the Arctic Ocean.

Lakes also have darker, murky waters, meaning they can absorb more of the sun's heat and making ice sheets melt faster.

The superglacial lakes can increase the speed of ice sheet melts and flows, said lead researcher Amber Leeson from the University of Leeds' School of Earth and Environment. The faster water from lakes flows, the thinner the ice sheets become.

She also adds that when ice sheets are thinner, its lower elevation exposes itself to warmer air temperatures as opposed to if it were thicker.

Scientists based these findings on European Space Agency satellite data that observed Greenland's ice sheets using a climate simulation model. This study was published in the journal, Nature Climate Change.

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