This is the ice shelf that formerly had a freshwater lake atop it, which drained away along with its unique life forms a while back (referenced in linked article). The Arctic is our canary in the coal mine, and it isn't looking too healthy.
Dr. Vincent said it's important to note that the Ward Hunt ice break is "small compared to what we've seen in the past." Indeed, the largest ice break recorded in recent time was significantly larger: In 2005, the Ayles Ice Shelf, one of six in existence in Canada at the time, broke off in its entirety, rendering a 66-square-kilometre ice island that floated out to sea. Still, the latest break "indicates ongoing change in this very sensitive area," Dr. Vincent said. Dr. Mueller, whom Dr. Vincent calls the pre-eminent expert on Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, says he's concerned that the ice shelves will disappear completely. "The take-home message for me is that these ice shelves are not regenerating," he said. "If we're looking at an indicator of whether climate is to blame, it's really the lack of regeneration that convinces me. They're breaking away so rapidly that there's no hope of regeneration," he said, adding that is "pretty strong evidence that suggests this is related to global warming."