When the center goes ...

When the center goes, the rest of a given entity goes as well, something researchers fear will happen regarding Greenland's ice and the ongoing reality of climate change.

To whit.

"Finding these fossils in the center of the ice sheet is unambiguous evidence that Greenland's ice has disappeared [in the past]," said Bierman. "And once you lose the center of the ice sheet, you've lost it all."

The findings supports what's called the "fragile Greenland" hypothesis: that nature, outside of human influence, has caused the ice sheet to melt at least once since it formed, Bierman said. 

At 656,000 square miles, the Greenland ice sheet currently covers around 80% of the island territory. To put that into perspective, it's about three times the size of Texas.

Drill dome and camp for GISP2, in Summit Greenland. Christine Massey

End game ...

"In the early years of the climate warming, it was mountain glaciers that were doing most of the melting and adding water to the ocean," he said. "Now it's Greenland."

While it could be a few thousand years before the entire Greenland mass melts, Bierman said, the consequences would be dire: hundreds of millions of people could lose their homes and businesses. Places we hold near and dear to our hearts would be lost.

"As I like to say when people ask me, why does it matter? I say think about your favorite beach. And then imagine your favorite beach with 25 feet of water on it," Bierman said.