"It's generally accepted that it's no longer a question of whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will melt, it's a question of when," Dr. Howat said in the release. "This kind of rifting behavior provides another mechanism for rapid retreat of these glaciers, adding to the probability that we may see significant collapse of West Antarctica in our lifetimes."

I have to think that a 10 foot rise in sea level would be quickly followed by more sheets breaking off, leading to a runaway effect.