West Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier, calving a large chunk of ice into the ocean in 2001.
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) say they have discovered that a group of glaciers covering an area the size of Texas has begun to flow into the ocean at an accelerated rate during the past year.
They warn that if the trend were to continue, sea level could rise worldwide by nearly 10 inches over a period of several decades.
Satellite observation of the West Antarctica glaciers recorded acceleration of about 1 percent per year through the 1990s.
But measurements taken by a BAS team show that ice flowing into the ocean has accelerated 7 percent in a single season.
One possible cause is that a deep ocean current may be undercutting the ice and lubricating its flow.
Another theory is that recently discovered geothermal activity may be melting the base of the ice, helping it slide toward the sea.
Animation: NASA's Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio
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