"A massive glacier in northeast Greenland has dramatically melted in the past decade and would raise global sea levels by a foot and a half if it thawed completely, according to a study published Thursday.

It was a "surprise" to learn how fast the large chunk of ice was shrinking, Jeremie Mouginot, lead scientist of the report, told USA TODAY in an email.

The glacier holds enough water to raise global sea levels by more than 18 inches if it were to melt away to nothing, but no timetable exists for how long that process could take, according to the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science."

Doyle Rice reports for USA TODAY November 12, 2015. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Scientists say Greenland Just Opened Up a Major New ‘Floodgate’ of Ice Into the Ocean" (Washington Post) [3]

"Rapidly Melting Glacier Will Raise Sea Levels 'For Decades To Come'" (Huffington Post) [4]