Researchers have discovered a valley underneath1 East Antarctica's most rapidly-changing glacier2 that delivers warm water to the base of the ice, causing significant melting. The intrusion of warm ocean water is accelerating melting and thinning of Totten Glacier, which at 65 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 3.5 metres. The glacier is one of the major outlets3 for the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is the largest mass of ice on Earth and covers 98 percent of the continent.
Climate change is raising the temperature of the oceans, and sea levels are predicted to rise about one metre per century. Totten Glacier could represent a major component4 of this change.
The research is published today (Monday 16 March) in Nature Geoscience by scientists from Imperial College London and institutions in the US, Australia and France.
"It's only one glacier, but it's changing now and it is significant for sea levels globally," said study co-author Professor Martin Siegert, Co-Director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London. "The 3.5 metre rise may take several centuries to complete, but now the process has started it is likely irreversible. This is another example of how human-induced climate change could be triggering major changes with knock-on impacts that will be felt globally."
1 underneath
adj. 在... 下面，在... 底下；adv. 在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。 2 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。 3 outlets
n. 出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店
参考例句：
The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4 component
n. 组成部分，成分，元件；adj. 组成的，合成的
参考例句：
Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
更多英语学习方法：企业英语培训
Researchers have discovered a valley underneath1 East Antarctica's most rapidly-changing glacier2 that delivers warm water to the base of the ice, causing significant melting. The intrusion of warm ocean water is accelerating melting and thinning of Totten Glacier, which at 65 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 3.5 metres. The glacier is one of the major outlets3 for the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is the largest mass of ice on Earth and covers 98 percent of the continent.
Climate change is raising the temperature of the oceans, and sea levels are predicted to rise about one metre per century. Totten Glacier could represent a major component4 of this change.
The research is published today (Monday 16 March) in Nature Geoscience by scientists from Imperial College London and institutions in the US, Australia and France.
"It's only one glacier, but it's changing now and it is significant for sea levels globally," said study co-author Professor Martin Siegert, Co-Director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London. "The 3.5 metre rise may take several centuries to complete, but now the process has started it is likely irreversible. This is another example of how human-induced climate change could be triggering major changes with knock-on impacts that will be felt globally."
1 underneath
adj. 在... 下面，在... 底下；adv. 在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。 2 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。 3 outlets
n. 出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店
参考例句：
The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4 component
n. 组成部分，成分，元件；adj. 组成的，合成的
参考例句：
Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
更多英语学习方法：企业英语培训