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JeanBaptisteKoehl_GeothermalEnergy_2021E-_冰岛的超级地下火山_
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While the weather in Iceland is often cold, wet, and windy, a nearly endless supply of heat bubbles away below the surface. |
虽然冰岛的天气 总是寒冷、潮湿又多风, 但在地表之下,几乎 无穷无尽的热量在蒸发。 |
In fact, almost every building in the country is heated by geothermal energy, in a process with virtually no carbon emissions . |
事实上,这个国家几乎 所有建筑的供暖都来自于地热能, 这个过程中几乎没有任何碳排放。 |
So how exactly does this renewable energy work? |
那么,这种可再生能源 到底是怎么回事呢? |
endless:adj.无止境的;连续的;环状的;漫无目的的; bubbles:n.泡; v.起泡; (bubble的第三人称单数和复数) geothermal:adj.[地物]地热的;[地物]地温的; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的; virtually:adv.事实上,几乎;实质上; carbon:n.[化学]碳;碳棒;复写纸;adj.碳的;碳处理的; emissions:n.(光、热、气等的)发出,排放;排放物;散发物;(emission的复数) renewable:adj.可再生的;可更新的;可继续的;n.再生性能源;
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Between the Earth’s core and its crust is a mixed layer of solid and partially molten rock called the mantle . |
在地核和地壳之间, 是一个由固态和部分熔融的岩石 组成的混合层,称为地幔。 |
Some of this heat comes from the radioactive decay of metals. |
其中一些热量来自金属的放射性衰变。 |
But much of it comes from Earth’s core, which has been radiating energy since the planet formed over four billion years ago. |
但很大一部分来自地核, 自从地球在40多亿年前形成, 地核就不断地在辐射能量。 |
core:n.核心;要点;果心;[计]磁心;vt.挖...的核; crust:n.壳;表面;厚颜无耻;[美国]雪壳;v.用外皮覆盖;结成硬皮;生痂儿;形成硬壳; layer:n.层,层次; vt.把…分层堆放; vi.形成或分成层次; partially:adv.部分地;偏袒地; molten:adj.熔化的;铸造的;炽热的;v.换毛;脱毛(molt的过去分词); mantle:n.地幔;斗篷;覆盖物;vi.覆盖;脸红;vt.覆盖; radioactive:adj.[核]放射性的;有辐射的; decay:v.(使)腐烂;破败;(力量、影响等)衰弱;n.腐烂;腐朽;衰退; radiating:adj. v.发射出(光,热等)(radiate的现在分词);
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While the mantle moves slowly, circulating roughly 40 kilometers below the Earth’s crust, there are places where it surges closer to the surface. |
虽然地幔活动缓慢, 在地壳约40公里之下循环, 但在有些地方,它会涌向地表。 |
Here, the magma forms pockets and veins in the ground, heating underground rivers and pools to temperatures reaching 300 degrees. |
在这里,岩浆在地面中形成囊和脉, 将地下河流和水池加热到300摄氏度。 |
Controlling heated water is at the heart of harnessing geothermal energy, and there are two primary models for how to do it. |
控制这些热水是利用地热能的核心, 而有两种主要方法能做到这一点。 |
circulating:adj.运行的; v.(液体或气体)环流,循环; (circulate的现在分词) roughly:adv.粗糙地;概略地; surges:n.突波(surge的复数形式);v.汹涌;澎湃(surge的单三形式); magma:n.[地质]岩浆;糊剂; veins:n.[解剖]静脉(vein的复数); v.使有脉络; harnessing:v.给(马等)装上挽具(harness的现在分词);治理,利用;
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One is to build a geothermal power plant which uses these hot, deep pools to produce electricity . |
其中一种是建造地热发电厂, 利用这些热的深水池发电。 |
First, engineers drill a well several kilometers into permeable rock like sandstone or basalt . |
首先,工程师会在砂岩 或者玄武岩这样的可渗透岩石上 钻一口数公里的井。 |
As the hot, highly pressurized groundwater flows into the well, the rapid change in pressure and temperature produces huge amounts of steam. |
随着高温高压的地下水流入井中, 迅速变化的压力和温度 产生大量的蒸汽。 |
power plant:n.发电厂;发电站; electricity:n.电力;电流;强烈的紧张情绪; permeable:adj.能透过的;有渗透性的; sandstone:n.[岩]砂岩;沙岩; basalt:n.[岩]玄武岩;黑陶器; highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; pressurized:adj.加压的; v.逼迫; (pressurize的过去式和过去分词) groundwater:n.地下水;
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This steam then turns the blades of a turbine to generate electricity. |
然后,这些蒸汽 将带动涡轮机的叶片发电。 |
Finally , the remaining cooled water and condensed steam are injected back into the ground to create an open loop that provides electricity without losing water. |
最后,剩余的冷却水 和冷凝蒸汽被注入地下, 形成一个开环, 在不失水的情况下提供电力。 |
However, we don't have to drill this deep to take advantage of the planet's heat. |
然而,我们不需要钻这么深的孔 来利用地球的热量。 |
blades:n.刀身;刀片;刀刃;叶片;桨叶;桨身;(blade的复数) turbine:n.汽轮机;涡轮机; generate:v.产生;引起; Finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地; condensed:adj.压缩的,精简的; v.(由气体)冷凝; (condense的过去式和过去分词) injected:v.(给…)注射(药物等); (inject的过去分词和过去式) loop:n.循环;回路;环路;圈;v.使成环;使绕成圈;成环形移动; take advantage of:利用;
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Thanks to solar radiation , dirt just 1.5 meters deep can reach temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius . |
多亏了太阳辐射, 仅有1.5米深的泥土 就可达到20摄氏度以上。 |
Geothermal heat pumps pipe water or antifreeze liquid through this layer of earth to siphon its energy. |
地热热泵将水或者防冻液体 通过管道在这层泥土里抽取能量。 |
These liquids are then pumped through local infrastructure , dispersing their heat before moving back through the ground to absorb more energy. |
然后,这些液体被泵送到 当地的基础设施中, 扩散它们的热量, 然后再次在地面中穿梭 吸收更多的能量。 |
radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法; dirt:n.污垢;尘土;下流话; Celsius:adj.摄氏的;n.摄氏度; pumps:n.[机]泵; v.用泵送; antifreeze:n.[助剂]防冻剂; siphon:n.虹吸管;vi.通过虹吸管;vt.用虹吸管吸出;抽取; pumped:adj.紧张的; v.用泵输送; (pump的过去分词和过去式) infrastructure:n.基础设施;公共建设;下部构造; dispersing:n.分配,分散;adj.分散的;v.使散开;散布;驱散(disperse的现在分词); absorb:v.吸收;使并入;吞并;同化;理解;吸收;耗费;承受;
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While external electricity is needed to operate the pumps, the energy provided is far greater than the energy used, meaning this process is also a sustainable loop. |
尽管运作泵需要外部电力, 但从中提供的能量远远超过消耗的, 这代表这个过程 也是一个可持续的循环。 |
In fact, geothermal heat pumps are both cheaper to operate and at least two times more energy efficient than fossil fuel equivalents . |
事实上,地热泵不仅运行成本低, 它的节能性是化石燃料的两倍。 |
Whether geothermal energy is radiating just below our feet, or heating water several kilometers deep, the planet is constantly radiating heat. |
无论地热能是在我们脚下放射, 还是在几公里之下加热水, 地球都不断地辐射能量。 |
external:n.外部;外观;形式;外部情况;adj.外部的;外面的;外界的;外来的; provided:conj.假如; v.提供; (provide的过去分词和过去式) sustainable:adj.可以忍受的;足可支撑的;养得起的;可持续的; efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的; fossil fuel:n.化石燃料(如煤或石油); equivalents:n.[化学]当量(equivalent的复数);同等设备;等同物; constantly:adv.不断地;时常地;
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Averaged across one year, |
平均一年, |
Earth gives off roughly three times more energy than humanity consumes . |
地球释放的能量 大约是人类消耗的三倍。 |
So why does geothermal only account for 0.2% of humanity’s energy production? |
那么,为何地热能只占 人类能源生产的0.2%呢? |
The answer has to do with heat, location , and cost. |
答案和热量、地点和成本有关。 |
Since geothermal heat pumps rely on the consistent heat found in shallow earth, they can be implemented almost anywhere. |
由于地热热泵依赖 来自于浅地层的持续热量, 它们几乎可以在任何地方使用。 |
humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科; consumes:v.消耗,耗费;吃;喝;饮;使充满(强烈的感情);(consume的第三人称单数) location:n.地方;地点;位置;定位 rely:vi.依靠;信赖; consistent:adj.始终如一的,一致的;坚持的; implemented:v.使生效;贯彻;执行;实施;(implement的过去式和过去分词)
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But geothermal power plants require tapping into high-temperature geothermal fields; regions hotter than 180 degrees and typically several kilometres underground. |
但是,地热发电厂需要利用 高温地热田; 温度超过180度的地区, 也通常在地下几公里。 |
These high temperature zones are hard to find, and drilling this deep for just one of the several wells a plant will need can cost up to $20 million. |
这些高温地区很难找到, 而钻这么深仅仅为了一个工厂 需要的几口井中的其中一口, 就需要花费2000万美元。 |
There are regions with shallower geothermal fields. |
有些地区的地热田较浅。 |
high-temperature:高温; regions:n.地区;地域;行政区;左近;(region的复数) typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地;
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Iceland and Japan are near active volcanoes and tectonic plate boundaries , where magma rises up through the crust. |
冰岛和日本临近活火山 和地壳板块的边缘, 在那里岩浆从地壳中上升。 |
But these same factors also make those regions prone to earthquakes, which can also be triggered by intensive drilling. |
但这也导致这些地区容易发生地震, 而密集的钻井也会引发地震。 |
Furthermore , while geothermal energy is clean and renewable, it’s not entirely harmless. |
此外,尽管地热能是干净、可再生的, 它并不是完全无害的。 |
volcanoes:n.火山爆发,火山;火山群(volcano复数); tectonic:adj.[地质]构造的;建筑的;地壳构造上的; boundaries:n.边界;分界线;(boundary的复数) factors:n.因素(factor的复数); v.做代理商; prone:adj.俯卧的;有…倾向的,易于…的; triggered:v.发动;引起;触发;开动;起动;(trigger的过去分词和过去式) intensive:adj.加强的;集中的;透彻的;加强语气的;n.加强器; Furthermore:adv.此外;而且;
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Drilling can release vapors containing pollutants like methane and hydrogen sulfide . |
钻井会释放出含有污染物的蒸汽, 例如甲烷和硫化氢。 |
And drilling tools that use pressurized water can contaminate groundwater. |
使用高压水的钻井工具 也会污染地下水。 |
Fortunately , new technologies are emerging to meet these challenges. |
幸运的是,新技术的出现 能够战胜这些挑战。 |
Emission control systems can capture pollutants, and electromagnetic monitoring can help detect seismic risks. |
排放控制系统可以捕获污染物, 电磁检测可以帮助检测地震风险。 |
release:v.释放;发射;让与;允许发表;n.释放;发布;让与; vapors:n.蒸汽;气化物(vapor的复数); pollutants:n.[环境]污染物(pollutant的复数); methane:n.[有化]甲烷;[能源]沼气; hydrogen:n.氢;氢气; sulfide:n.[化学]硫化物; contaminate:v.污染;玷污,毒害(人的思想或品德); Fortunately:adv.幸运地; technologies:n.技术;科技(technology的复数); emerging:adj.新兴的;v.出现,浮现,露出;暴露;(emerge的现在分词) capture:v.俘虏;捕获;攻占;夺得;刻画,描述;n.(被)捕获;(被)俘获 electromagnetic:adj.电磁的; detect:vt.察觉;发现;探测; seismic:adj.地震的;因地震而引起的;
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We're also uncovering entirely new sources of geothermal energy, like pockets of magma in mid-ocean volcanoes. |
我们也在发现全新的地热能来源, 比如海洋中火山的岩浆区。 |
So if we can safely and responsibly tap into the heat sustaining our planet, we might be able to sustain humanity as well. |
因此,如果我们能够安全、 负责任地利用地球的热量, 我们或许能够维持人类的生存。 |
uncovering:adj.露出的; v.发现(uncover的现在分词); n.露出; sources:n.来源;出处;起源;根源;原因;v.(从…)获得(source的第三人称单数和复数) mid-ocean:adj.海洋中部的;n.海中央; responsibly:adv.负责地,可信赖地; sustaining:adj.持续的;支持的;v.维持(sustain的现在分词);支持;承受;
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