|
|
KristinPoinar_2017-_格陵兰冰原之下的秘密_
|
When was I was 21 years old, |
我21岁的时候 |
I had all this physics homework. |
有很多物理作业 |
Physics homework requires taking breaks, and Wikipedia was relatively new, so I took a lot of breaks there. |
做物理作业的时候需要休息 当时维基百科刚刚兴起 所以我经常在那儿浏览 放松 |
Wikipedia:维基百科; relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地;
|
I kept going back to the same articles, reading them again and again , on glaciers , Antarctica and Greenland. |
我总是看同一篇文章 反反复复地看 关于冰川 南极洲和格陵兰岛的 |
again and again:adv.再三地,反复地; glaciers:n.[地理][水文]冰川(glacier的复数);[地理][水文]冰河;
|
How cool would it be to visit these places and what would it take to do so? |
如果能去那些地方该有多酷啊 需要做什么准备呢 |
Well, here we are on a repurposed Air Force cargo plane operated by NASA flying over the Greenland ice sheet . |
让我们来看看 在一辆被改造的空军客机上 客机由NASA操作 从格陵兰岛的冰原上方飞过 |
repurposed:vt.改换意图;重新目的化; Air Force:n.空军; cargo:n.(船或飞机装载的)货物; ice sheet:n.冰原;冰盖;
|
There's a lot to see here, but there's more that is hidden, waiting to be uncovered . |
你可以看到很多东西 但是更多的是看不到的 等待被发掘 |
uncovered:adj.裸露的; v.揭开盖子; (uncover的过去式和过去分词)
|
What the Wikipedia articles didn't tell me is that there's liquid water hidden inside the ice sheet, because we didn't know that yet. |
维基百科没有告诉我的是 在冰原下面有隐藏的液态水 因为当时没有人知道 |
I did learn on Wikipedia that the Greenland ice sheet is huge, the size of Mexico, and its ice from top to bottom is two miles thick. |
维基百科只告诉我 格陵兰岛的冰原面积极大 和墨西哥的大小差不多 它的整个冰层足有2英里厚 |
from top to bottom:从上到下;彻底的;
|
But it's not just static . |
但它并非静止不动 |
static:adj.静止的; n.[物]静电(干扰);
|
The ice flows like a river downhill towards the ocean. |
冰块就像河水一样沿着山体流向海中 |
downhill:adv.下坡;向下;每况愈下;adj.下坡的;容易的;n.下坡;滑降;
|
As it flows around bends, it deforms and cracks . |
当它流经弯道的时候 冰块会变形然后破裂 |
deforms:vt.使变形;使成畸形;vi.变形;变畸形;adj.畸形的;丑陋的; cracks:n.裂纹; v.破裂; (crack的第三人称单数和复数)
|
I get to study these amazing ice dynamics , which are located in one of the most remote physical environments remaining on earth. |
我开始接触到这种惊人的冰学动态, 它位于地球上现存的最荒僻的 自然环境中 |
dynamics:n.动力学,力学; located:adj.位于; v.确定…的准确地点; (locate的过去分词和过去式) remote:adj.偏远的;偏僻的;遥远的;久远的; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查;
|
To work in glaciology right now is like getting in on the ground floor at Facebook in the 2000s. |
要立刻投入冰川学的工作 就像在20世纪末抢先创建 脸书 一样 |
glaciology:n.冰河学;冰川学; ground floor:n.底层;
|
(Laughter) |
(笑) |
Our capability to fly airplanes and satellites over the ice sheets is revolutionizing glaciology. |
我们在冰原上方驾驶飞机 以及已有卫星的能力 正引发着冰川学的变革 |
capability:n.才能,能力;性能,容量; airplanes:n.(美)[航]飞机(airplane的复数); sheets:n.床单;被单;薄片,薄板;(sheet的复数) revolutionizing:vt.发动革命;彻底改革;宣传革命;vi.革命化;从事革命;
|
It's just starting to do for science what the smartphone has done for social media . |
它对于科学的作用 就像智能手机对于社交媒体一样重要 |
smartphone:n.智能手机; media:n.媒体;媒质(medium的复数);血管中层;浊塞音;中脉;
|
The satellites are reporting a wealth of observations that are revealing new hidden facts about the ice sheets continuously . |
卫星报告的大量观测 都持续地发掘着冰原下的秘密 |
wealth:n.财富;大量;富有; observations:n.观察,观察值;观察结果;(observation的复数形式); revealing:adj.暴露的;发人深省的;v.揭示;露出;显示;展示;(reveal的现在分词) continuously:adv.连续不断地;
|
For instance , we have observations of the size of the Greenland ice sheet every month going back to 2002. |
例如 我们有格陵兰岛冰原 大小的观测数据 从2002年至今的每个月都有 |
instance:n.实例;情况;建议;v.举...为例;
|
You can look towards the bottom of the screen here to see the month and the year go forward. |
你们可以看到屏幕的下方 观察随着年月的增加带来的数据变化 |
You can see that some areas of the ice sheet melt or lose ice in the summer. |
你们可以看到在某些区域冰原融化 或是在夏天的时候彻底消融 |
melt:v.融化;(使)软化;
|
Other areas experience snowfall or gain ice back in the winter. |
其他的区域经历着降雪 或是在冬天的时候重新结冰 |
snowfall:n.降雪;降雪量;
|
This seasonal cycle, though, is eclipsed by an overall rate of mass loss that would have stunned a glaciologist 50 years ago. |
然而这种季节周期性的变化 与总体质量的流失相比不值一提 这会使50年前的冰川学家目瞪口呆 |
seasonal:adj.季节的;周期性的;依照季节的; eclipsed:v.引起日蚀;遮暗;使…失色(eclipse的过去分词); overall:v.全部; n.外套; adj.全面的; mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; stunned:adj.震惊的; v.使昏迷; (stun的过去分词和过去式) glaciologist:n.冰河学家;
|
We never thought that an ice sheet could lose mass into the ocean this quickly. |
我们从未想过 冰原流失的速度会如此之快 |
Since these measurements began in 2002, the ice sheet has lost so much ice that if that water were piled up on our smallest continent , it would drown Australia knee-deep . |
因为这些测量从2002年开始 冰原已经有大量的冰流失 如果那些融化的水积聚在澳大利亚这 这块世界上最小的大陆上 将会有膝盖那么深 |
measurements:n.测量值,尺寸(measurement的复数); piled:v.堆放;叠放;放置;装入;拥挤;(pile的过去分词和过去式) continent:n.大陆,洲,陆地;adj.自制的,克制的; drown:v.淹没;溺死;浸透;浸泡; knee-deep:adj.深到膝盖的;没膝程度的;
|
How is this possible? |
这怎么可能呢 |
Well, under the ice lies the bedrock . |
事实上 在冰的下面是基岩 |
bedrock:n.[地质]基岩;根底;基本原理;
|
We used radar to image the hills, valleys, mountains and depressions that the ice flows over. |
我们用雷达描绘山丘 峡谷 山脉和洼地的图像 那些冰块川流过的地方 |
radar:n.雷达; depressions:n.[经]萧条(depression的复数形式);按下;抑制;[内科]抑郁症;
|
Hidden under the ice sheet are channels the size of the Grand Canyon that funnel ice and water off of Greenland and into the ocean. |
在冰原下是和美国大峡谷 一般大的海峡 成漏斗形 将格陵兰岛上的 冰和水导入海洋中 |
Canyon:n.(周围有悬崖峭壁的)峡谷;( funnel:n.漏斗;烟囱;v.通过漏斗或烟囱等;使成漏斗形;
|
The reason that radar can reveal the bedrock is that ice is entirely transparent to radar. |
雷达可以展现基岩的原因 在于对于雷达而言 冰是完全透明的 |
transparent:adj.透明的;显然的;坦率的;易懂的;
|
You can do an experiment. |
你们可以做一个实验 |
Go home and put an ice cube in the microwave . |
回家把冰块放在微波炉中 |
ice cube:n.(加入酒或饮料中的)小冰块; microwave:n.微波;
|
It won't melt, because microwaves , or radar, pass straight through the ice without interacting . |
它不会融化 因为微波或者雷达 直接穿过冰块而不会对其发生作用 |
microwaves:n.[物]微波; v.用微波炉烹调(microwave的单三形式); interacting:v.交流;沟通;合作;相互影响;(interact的现在分词)
|
If you want to melt your ice cube, you have to get it wet, because water heats up easily in the microwave. |
如果你想使冰块融化 应该先把它变湿 因为水在微波中容易升温 |
That's the whole principle the microwave oven is designed around. |
那是微波炉的设计原理 |
principle:n.原理,原则;主义,道义;本质,本义;根源,源泉; oven:n.炉,灶;烤炉,烤箱;
|
Radar can see water. |
雷达看得见水 |
And radar has revealed a vast pool of liquid water hidden under my colleague Olivia, seven stories beneath her feet. |
雷达显示了极大量的液态水 隐藏在我同事Olivia的脚下 大概有七层楼高 |
revealed:v.揭示;显示;露出;(reveal的过去分词和过去式) colleague:n.同事,同僚; beneath:prep.在…之下;adv.在下方;
|
Here, she's used a pump to bring some of that water back to the ice sheet's surface. |
她正在用一个泵 将部分这些水运回冰原的表面 |
pump:n.抽水机;泵;打气筒;v.用泵输送;涌出;奔流;快速摇动;
|
Just six years ago, we had no idea this glacier aquifer existed. |
六年前 我们并不知道 这个冰川下方含水层的存在 |
aquifer:n.(美)蓄水层;含水土层;
|
The aquifer formed when snow melts in the summer sun and trickles downward . |
含水层形成于 雪在夏日下融化 然后慢慢地向下流 |
melts:n.[冶]熔体(melt的复数);v.熔化(melt的第三人称单数形式); trickles:v.(使)滴,淌,小股流淌; n.细流; (trickle的第三人称单数和复数) downward:adj.下降的;向下的;adv.同"downwards";
|
It puddles up in huge pools. |
它在巨大的水坑中搅动 |
puddles:小水坑(puddle的复数)
|
From there, the snow acts as an igloo , insulating this water from the cold and the wind above. |
从那儿开始 雪就像冰屋一样 将水与上方的寒冷和风隔绝开 |
igloo:圆顶建筑 insulating:adj.起隔热(或隔音、绝缘)作用的; v.使免除; (insulate的现在分词)
|
So the water can stay hidden in the ice sheet in liquid form year after year . |
所以水得以隐藏在冰原之下 以液态年复一年地存在着 |
year after year:年复一年地;每年;
|
The question is, what happens next? |
问题是 接下来会发生什么呢 |
Does the water stay there forever? |
那些水会永远待在那儿吗 |
It could. |
这是可能的 |
Or does it find a way out to reach the global ocean? |
或者它能找到一种 流入全球海洋的方法吗 |
global:adj.全球的;总体的;球形的;
|
One possible way for the water to reach the bedrock and from there the ocean is a crevasse , or a crack in the ice. |
水要流到基岩并且 从那儿流入海洋的 一种可行方法 是找到一个决口 或是冰里面的缝隙 |
crevasse:n.裂缝;破口,崩溃处;
|
When cracks fill with water, the weight of the water forces them deeper and deeper. |
当裂缝中充满了水 水的重量使它们不断向下开裂 |
This is how fracking works to extract natural gas from deep within the earth. |
这是液态破碎法的工作原理 使地球深处的天然气流出 |
fracking:n.水力压裂; extract:v.提取;取出;摘录;榨取;n.汁;摘录;榨出物;选粹; natural gas:n.天然气;
|
Pressurized fluids fracture rocks. |
增压的流体使岩石破碎 |
Pressurized:adj.加压的; v.逼迫; (pressurize的过去式和过去分词) fluids:n.液体;流体;液;(fluid的复数) fracture:n.(指事实)骨折;(指状态)断裂;破裂;v.(使)断裂;破裂;(使)分裂;
|
All it takes is a crack to get started. |
这一切只需要从一个裂缝开始 |
Well, we recently discovered that there are cracks available in the Greenland ice sheet near this glacier aquifer. |
我们最近发现 在格陵兰岛的冰原就有这样的裂缝 在冰川含水层附近 |
recently:adv.最近;新近;
|
You can fly over most of the Greenland ice sheet and see nothing, no cracks, no features on the surface, but as this helicopter flies towards the coast, |
你可以飞过格陵兰岛的大部分冰原 但你什么都看不到 没有裂缝 表面也没有任何征兆 但是当这架直升机飞向海岸 |
the path that water would take on its quest to flow downhill, one crack appears, then another and another. |
沿着水流下山的路径 一个裂缝出现了 接着一个又一个 |
quest:n.追求;寻找;vi.追求;寻找;vt.探索;
|
Are these cracks filled with liquid water? |
这些裂缝中都充满了液态水吗 |
And if so, how deep do they take that water? |
如果是的话 那些水有多深呢 |
Can they take it to the bedrock and the ocean? |
它们深到基岩了吗 或者是海洋 |
To answer these questions, we need something beyond remote sensing data. |
为了回答这些问题 我们需要一些遥感数据以外的信息 |
remote sensing:遥感;
|
We need numeric models. |
我们需要数学模型 |
numeric:n.数;数字;adj.数值的(等于numerical);数字的;
|
I write numeric models that run on supercomputers . |
我编写了一个在超型计算机上 运行的数学模型 |
supercomputers:n.[计]巨型计算机,超级计算机;
|
A numeric model is simply a set of equations that works together to describe something. |
一个数学模型只是一组方程式 它们一起运作时可以描述一些东西 |
equations:n.方程式;等式;均等;均势(equation的复数形式); describe:v.描述;形容;把…称为;画出…图形;
|
It can be as simple as the next number in a sequence -- one, three, five, seven -- 1 3 5 7 or it can be a more complex set of equations that predict the future based on known conditions in the present. |
它可能和序列中下一个数字一样简单 或者也可以是更复杂的方程组 基于现在 已知的条件预测未来 |
sequence:n.顺序; v.按顺序排列; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; predict:v.预报;预言;预告;
|
In our case, what are the equations for how ice cracks? |
在我们的案例中描述 冰裂的方程式是什么呢 |
Well, engineers already have a very good understanding of how aluminum , steel and plastics fracture under stress. |
工程师已经熟知 关于铝 钢和塑料在压力下如何断裂 |
aluminum:n.铝;
|
It's an important problem in our society. |
这对于我们的社会生活十分重要 |
And it turns out that the engineering equations for how materials fracture are not that different from my physics homework. |
事实证明 工程师关于材料如何断裂的 数模方程 和我的物理作业没有什么不同 |
engineering:n.工程;工程学;v.密谋策划;设计制造;改变…的基因;(engineer的现在分词)
|
So I borrowed them, adapted them for ice, and then I had a numeric model for how a crevasse can fracture when filled with water from the aquifer. |
所以我借鉴了它们 并运用到冰中 于是我建立了一个关于 当裂缝充满了来自含水层的水 会如何断裂的数学模型 |
adapted:adj.适于…的; v.使适应,使适合; (adapt的过去分词和过去式)
|
This is the power of math. |
这是数学的力量 |
It can help us understand real processes in our world. |
它能帮我们了解这个世界中 一个个真实的过程 |
processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式);
|
I'll show you now the results of my numeric model, but first I should point out that the crevasse is about a thousand times narrower than it is deep, so in the main panel here, we've zoomed in to better see the details. |
我现在要向你们展示 我的数模计算结果 但是首先我要指出 这些决口的宽度 比它们的深度小1000倍 所以在这个主面板上 我们放大了它以便更好地观察细节 |
in the main:基本上; panel:n.镶板;仪表盘;钣金;(衣服上的)镶条;v.镶板(用木或玻璃板等镶嵌或装饰);
|
You can look to the smaller panel on the right to see the true scale for how tall and skinny the crevasse is. |
你们可以参考右边那个更小的数据条 来估算这些狭长裂缝的真实尺寸比例 |
scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢; skinny:adj.极瘦的;干瘦的;皮包骨的;紧身的;n.(不公开的)信息;内幕消息;
|
As the aquifer water flows into the crevasse, some of it refreezes in the negative 15 degree Celsius ice. |
因为含水层的水流入了裂缝 其中一部分在零下15摄氏度结冰了 |
refreezes:用法,发音,音标,搭配,同义词,反义词和例句等在线英语服务。; negative:adj.[数]负的;消极的;否定的;阴性的;n.否定;负数;[摄]底片;v.否定;拒绝; Celsius:adj.摄氏的;n.摄氏度;
|
That's about as cold as your kitchen freezer . |
和厨房冰箱的冷冻层一样冷 |
freezer:n.冰箱;冷冻库;制冷工;
|
But this loss can be overcome if the flow rate in from the glacier aquifer is high enough. |
但是这部分的缺失是可以克服的 如果来自含水层的流量足够大的话 |
overcome:vt.克服;胜过;vi.克服;得胜;
|
In our case, it is, and the aquifer water drives the crevasse all the way to the base of the ice sheet a thousand meters below. |
在我们的案例中情况就是这样的 含水层的水使裂缝裂到冰原的底部 海拔 负1000米 |
From there, it has a clear path to reach the ocean. |
在那儿 有一条很清晰的 通往海洋的路径 |
So the aquifer water is a part of the three millimeters per year of sea level rise that we experience as a global society. |
所以含水层的水部分影响了 每年海平面3毫米的上升 这正是我们全球社会所经历的 |
millimeters:n.毫米;(millimeter的复数) sea level:海平面;
|
But there's more: the aquifer water might be punching above its weight. |
但是还有别的问题 含水层的流量可能不足 |
punching:v.拳打;以拳痛击;给…打孔;(punch的现在分词)
|
The ice flows in complex ways. |
冰以复杂的方式流动 |
In some places, the ice flows very fast. |
在有的地方冰流动很快 |
There tends to be water at the base of the ice sheet here. |
它们可能在冰原的底部变成水 |
In other places, not so fast. |
在其他地方则没有这么快 |
Usually, there's not water present at the base there. |
通常情况下在底部没有水的出现 |
Now that we know the aquifer water is getting to the base of the ice sheet, the next question is: |
既然我们知道了 含水层的水会到达冰原底部 那么下一个问题是 |
Is it making the ice itself flow faster into the ocean? |
它会加快冰流入海洋的速度吗 |
We're trying to uncover these mysteries hidden inside the Greenland ice sheet so that we can better plan for the sea level rise it holds. |
我们尝试着去解开 藏在格陵兰岛冰原下的秘密 以便更好地规划解决 它所造成的海平面上升问题 |
The amount of ice that Greenland has lost since 2002 is just a small fraction of what that ice sheet holds. |
从2002年起格陵兰岛流失的冰量 只是那片冰原体积的一小部分 |
fraction:n.分数;小部分;小数;少量;
|
Ice sheets are immense , powerful machines that operate on long timescales . |
冰原是巨型 强大 可以长时间工作的调节器 |
immense:adj.巨大的,广大的;无边无际的;非常好的; timescales:n.时标;时间量程(timescale的复数);
|
In the next 80 years, global sea levels will rise at least 20 centimeters , perhaps as much as one meter, and maybe more. |
在未来的80年 全球海平面至少会上升20cm 甚至可能是1米 也有可能更多 |
centimeters:n.[计量]厘米(centimeter的复数);
|
Our understanding of future sea level rise is good, but our projections have a wide range. |
我们对于未来海平面的了解是好的 但是我们的预测太宽泛了 |
projections:n.预测;设想;投影;投影图;(projection的复数)
|
It's our role as glaciologists and scientists to narrow these uncertainties . |
我们作为冰川学家和 科学家的责任就是 减少这些不确定性 |
glaciologists:n.冰河学家; narrow:adj.狭窄的; v.使窄小; n.峡谷; (场所,物品等的)狭窄部分; uncertainties:n.[数]不确定性;不确定因素(uncertainty的复数);
|
How much sea level rise is coming, and how fast will it get here? |
海平面会上涨多少 上涨多快 |
We need to know how much and how fast, so the world and its communities can plan for the sea level rise that's coming. |
我们需要知道它的变化幅度和速度 这样社会各界才能做好准备 应对未来的海平面上升 |
communities:n.社区;社会;团体;共有(community的复数)
|
Thank you. |
谢谢 |
(Applause) |
(掌声) |
Chris Anderson: I want to ask you one question. |
|
I just want to ask you one question. |
|
That's so beautifully explained. |
|
On the first slide with the graph of Greenland ice melting , that is so dramatic . |
|
melting:adj.感人的;v.(使)熔化,融化;(melt的现在分词) dramatic:adj.突然的;巨大的;令人吃惊的;激动人心的;
|
It looks like half the ice is gone. |
|
So it's a huge amount in physical terms, but actually quite a small percentage , right? |
|
percentage:n.百分比;百分率;利润的分成;提成;
|
Kristin Poinar: That's right. Yeah. It's a small fraction. |
|
It's like, it's a millionth . |
|
millionth:n.百万分之一;第一百万;adj.百万分之一的;第一百万的;
|
But that millionth of the Greenland ice sheet has come off of the ice in just, what is it, 10 or 15 years that that graph is showing. |
|
And it may be accelerating . |
|
accelerating:adj.促进的,[物]加速的;催化的;
|
CA: Right, and it seems to me that's what's so powerful about your model is that you show that there's at least a possibility that, you know, this is a harbinger of worst things to come. |
|
harbinger:n.先驱;前兆;预告者;vt.预告;充做…的前驱;
|
KP: Yeah. This is one of the many unknowns that we're trying to figure out. |
|
CA: I mean, it's so hard for people on climate to keep in mind simultaneously both the time scales involved and the size of the problem. |
|
keep in mind:记住; simultaneously:adv.同时地; involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词)
|
I mean in one way, 20 centimeters over the next 80 years doesn't seem that terrible, but then it's unstoppable . |
|
unstoppable:adj.无法阻碍的;无法停止的(副词unstoppably);
|
That's the concern , right? |
|
concern:v.涉及,关系到;使担心;n.关系;关心;关心的事;
|
These systems are so vast. |
|
KP: And it's not just the 20 centimeters that's there day after day . |
|
day after day:日复一日;
|
It's 20 centimeters that's on top of storm surges . |
|
surges:n.突波(surge的复数形式);v.汹涌;澎湃(surge的单三形式);
|
You know, hurricanes happen, and they're going to continue to happen, so it gives those terrible, episodic flooding events a bigger head start if you start with 20 centimeters or a meter more of sea level rise. |
|
hurricanes:n.[气象]飓风(hurricane的复数); episodic:adj.插话式的; head start:领先;抢先起步的优势;有利的开端;
|
CA: Well look, in this conference we've been collecting jobs for the future. |
|
conference:n.会议;研讨会;商讨会;体育协会(或联合会)
|
It really seems to me your job, glaciologist, is one the world's going to need for generations to come, and I think this talk is going to inspire a lot of young women, young scientists, to be like you. |
|
inspire:v.激发;鼓舞;启示;产生;使生灵感;
|
Thank you so much, Kristin. |
|
(Applause) |
|