时差N小时 南极冰层下洪流加速冰河流入海中

Floods under Antarctica ice speeding glacious into sea

南极冰层下洪流加速冰河流入海中

Scientists unveiled the first direct evidence that massive floods deep below Antarctica's ice cover are accelerating the flow of glaciers² into the sea. How quickly these huge bodies of ice slide off the Antarctic and Greenland land masses into the ocean help determine the speed at which sea levels rise.

科学家首度公布资料，证明南极冰川下的巨大洪流正使冰川加速流向海洋。这些体积庞大的冰川正从南极大陆和格陵兰岛流向海洋，它们漂移的速度直接决定了海平面升高的速度。

The stakes are enormous: an increase measured in tens of centimeters (inches) could wreak³ havoc⁴ for hundreds of millions of people living in low-lying deltas⁵ and island nations around the world.

这导致的后果将惊心动魄：即使海平面只上升几十厘米，就足以对世界各地居住在低海拔三角洲和岛国的人民造成毁灭性灾难。

Researchers discovered only recently that inaccessible⁶ subglacial lakes in Antarctica periodically shed huge quantities of water. They discovered that during the same 14-month period that 1.7 cubic kilometers (0.4 cubic miles) of water cascaded⁷ through subglacial waterways, the 75-kilometer (45-mile) long glacier¹ downstream picked up speed, moving about 10 percent faster.

研究者近日发现，在南极冰层下隐秘的冰下湖泊会周期性的倾泻大量水流。他们发现在同样的14个月期间，冰层下湖泊溢出了1.7立方千米的水（相当于0.4立方英里），75公里（相当于45英里）长的伯德冰川的移动速度加快了10%。

"Our findings provide direct evidence that an active lake drainage system can cause large and rapid changes in glacier dynamics," the researchers concluded.

研究人员由此得出结论：“活跃的湖泊排水系统会导致冰川运动出现大规模、快速的变化，我们的研究结果为此提供了直接证据。”

The study adds to growing scientific concern about the pace at which glaciers are melting into the seas. The ice sheet that sits atop Greenland, for example, contains enough water to raise world ocean levels by seven meters (23 feet). Even the gloomiest global warming predictions do not include such a scenario⁸.

该研究进一步加剧了科学家对冰川融化速度的担忧。例如，光是格陵兰岛表面覆盖的冰层溶化后就能使海平面上升7米（相当于23英尺）。即使最悲观的全球气候变暖预言也没有报道这样的情形。

1 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

2 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

3 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

4 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

5 deltas   

希腊字母表中第四个字母( delta的名词复数 )； （河口的）三角洲

参考例句：

• Tidal channels, deltas, and washover fans are characteristically associated with offshore bars. 潮汐水道、三角洲和冲刷扇典型地与滨外砂洲伴生在一起。
• I know many of the early civilizations prospered on deltas. 我知道很多古老的文明都是在三角洲上蓬勃发展起来的。

6 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

7 cascaded   

级联的

参考例句：

• His money cascaded away in a couple of years. 他的钱在三两年内便滚滚流失了。
• The water cascaded off the roof in the thunderstorm. 雷雨中水象瀑布一样从屋顶泻下。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。