Glacier in Greenland breaks apart for second time in two years, leading scientists to worry about rising sea level

This week scientists confirmed that a large chunk of a glacier in Greenland broke free and slipped into the ocean. It’s the second time in just two years that a large part of the Petermann Glacier has separated. Polar ice loss is accelerating, according to a 2011 NASA report, especially in Greenland, where scientists say melting ice sheets could add about six inches to global sea level rise in the next 40 years.

For more, we’re joined by Tim Creyts, a glaciologist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. He conducts research in Greenland.