Now, the section mentioned in the article stretches deep into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but still a very small part of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Remember 70% of all Fresh Water in the World in is the EAIS. It is that large. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) has only about 10%. The Greenland Ice Sheet another 10%. The rest are held in Rivers, Lakes and other ice sheets all over the world.

If the WAIS would collapse it would raise world wide sea level about 7 to 8 meters (about 20 feet), if this joins in then you have another 1 to 2 meter raise in world wide sea level. That is the problem.

Now the WAIS, is considered unstable, for it is grounded BELOW sea level. Given that the WAIS is grounded below sea level, it could collapse overnight. i.e. In some late March, when the Ice Shelves that surround Antarctic are at their smallest, the stress put on the WAIS do to increase warm water hitting it on its grounding line, could float the whole ice sheet within days. No other Ice Sheet is capable of this. The EAIS and the Greenland Ice Sheets are grounded ABOVE sea level and thus increase world wide warmer water has no affect on either, except in regards to overall increase world wide AIR temperatures.

The collapse of the WAIS is believed to have occurred 120,000 years ago, lead to a world wide increase in sea level, then dropping 80 feet as the Ice Age kicks in. All within 100 years (and some experts less then 80 years):

http://www.imaja.com/as/environment/can/journal/madhousecentury.html

Just pointing out this is article reflects an additional increase in sea level over and above what the WAIS will do.