A group of researchers from the United States have successfully solved the mystery behind the mysterious disappearance of glacial lakes in Greenland.

Last year, the sudden disappearance of a meltwater lake sitting on an ice sheet in Greenland left researchers around the world shocked and concerned about what exactly happened to all the water. Now, a team of researchers from the United States claim that they have successfully determined all the factors that played key roles in the mysterious draining of the glacial lake. Additionally, the team is also claiming that their findings indicate a global rise in sea level.

The study in question is a joint effort between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Water from these glacier melts can disappear rapidly due to the presence of moulins, or vertical channels found in the ice sheets. These vertical channels funnel water both above and below the glacier. Continuous movements of the moulins can trigger the formation of cracks in the surface underneath supra-glacial lakes. These cracks allow water in the lakes to drain away over a short period of time. This can occur is as little as just a few days.

According to Laura Stevens, the study's lead author, the findings of this new study will help researchers to make more accurate predictions about the effects of supra-glacial lakes on rise in sea levels and flow of ice sheets when the region will become even warmer. Stevens is a graduate student of Oceanography in a joint program by MIT and WHOI.

One of the largest causes of rising sea levels is the draining of glacial lakes. According to the research team, the larger part of the water entering the ocean actually comes from the warmer parts of the ice sheets exhibiting moulins' activities. This means there are greater chances of flooding the sea from the warmer regions of Greenland than any other part of the country.

In a related study, a team of researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Cornell found that two lakes in Greenland and mysteriously disappeared. According to information provided by the researchers, the lakes in question had billions of gallons of water in it, all of which vanished suddenly. If these billions of gallons of water did in fact drain and reach the ocean and this problem continues across the world, the impact on sea levels in undeniable and could begin to raise the sea levels putting coastal areas in danger.