A large chunk of the Wilkins ice shelf in Greenland broke away last month . Only a narrow strip of land is protecting the shelf from further breakup . News of the Wilkins ice shelf 's impending breakup came less than two weeks after the United Nations Environment Program reported that the world 's glaciers are melting away and that they show `` record '' losses . ` ` I did n't expect to see it happen this quickly , '' scientist says . Ice shelves are floating in sheets attached to the coast .
A large chunk of the Wilkins ice shelf in Greenland broke away last month . Only a narrow strip of land is protecting the shelf from further breakup . ` ` I did n't expect to see it happen this quickly , '' scientist says . Ice shelves are floating in sheets attached to the coast .