New Danish research carried out by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEOS) shows the ice cap on Greenland cannot absorb as much meltwater from snow as previously believed.

As a consequence the ocean may rise faster than previously projected, reports Videnskab magazine.

Due to global warming there are layers of ice in the upper part of Greenland’s ice cap that cannot absorb as much water from melted snow as expected and the excess water flushes away into the ocean.

“The area we have examined can only absorb water from 3 metres of snow instead of 40 metres, and therefore much more water is melting into the ocean,” Professor Jason Box from GEUS told Videnskab.

The worrying results of the Danish research were published in the Nature Climate Change journal.