财经金融新闻 气候变化导致西藏大雪崩

A glacier¹ slide that tore a path of destruction through western Tibet last month

上个月冰川滑动在西藏西部形成了破坏通道，

could have been set in motion by climate change and similar disasters could be ahead.

这可能是气候变化造成的，以后还会发生同类灾害。

The deadly avalanche² on July 17 killed nine people

7月17日那场致命的雪崩使九人遇难，

and hundreds of sheep and yaks³ in Rutog County where residents rely on their livestock⁴ to survive.

并且掩埋了几百只日土县居民们赖以生存的绵羊和牦牛。

It started when a glacier began to slip down a narrow gully between two mountains,

灾害开始时，一块冰川从两座山之间的狭沟向下滑动，

sliding over 5 kilometers into the nearby Aru Co Lake.

滑行五千多米后进入附近的阿鲁湖。

The avalanche covered an area of nearly 10 square kilometers with snow up to 30 meters deep.

雪崩覆盖面积约10平方千米，积雪厚达30多米。

Nature magazine called it one of the largest ice avalanches⁵ in recorded history,

自然杂志称其为历史记录中最大的冰崩，

comparable only to a 2002 glacier slide that killed 140 people in Russia.

与其相似的只有2002年俄罗斯那场导致140人死亡的冰川滑动。

The immediate⁶ cause of the avalanche was clear.

导致雪崩的原因很明显。

But what caused the glacier's slide?

但是导致冰川滑动的原因是什么呢？

Tian Lide, director of a Chinese Academy of Sciences observation center near the avalanche site,

田立德，雪崩地附近的中国科学院观测站站长，

says the Rutog avalanche started on flat terrain⁷ instead of an incline, making the glacier's sudden slide unusual.

说日土雪崩发生在平坦地区而不是斜坡上，这一点很不寻常。

Andreas Kaab, a glaciologist and professor at Norway's University of Oslo,

冰川学家以及挪威奥斯陆大学教授安德里亚斯·卡布在自然杂志的采访中说道，

said in an interview with Nature magazine that an unusual movement called a "glacier surge" might have caused the avalanche.

一次不同寻常的移动被称为“急涌冰川”，可能正是它导致了雪崩。

Most glaciers⁸ move very slowly, but surge-type glaciers sometimes move up to 100 times faster than normal.

多数冰川移动速度都非常缓慢，但急涌型冰川的移动速度有时是普通冰川的100多倍。

But Tian says the glacier that caused the Rutog avalanche had barely moved at all over the last several decades,

但是田立德认为引发日土雪崩的冰川在过去的几十年中几乎都没有移动，

making the glacier surge explanation an unlikely one.

急涌冰川这一说法不太可能。

So what was the culprit?

那么罪魁祸首到底是什么呢？

Zong Jibiao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences observation center, says global warming was more likely the cause.

中国科学院观测站研究员宗继彪认为这更有可能是全球变暖造成的。

Temperatures in Tibet have risen by about 0.4 degrees Celsius⁹ per decade since 1960 – twice the global average.

自1960年以来，西藏气温每十年就上升0.4摄氏度--是全球气温上升速度的两倍。

Unusually high precipitation covered the glacier with a thick layer of snow this summer.

今年夏天，异常的高强度降雪在冰川表面形成了一层厚厚的积雪。

Tian said warming temperatures likely melted the glacier from the inside, creating cracks and cavities that collapsed¹⁰ under the snow's weight.

田立德认为可能是温度升高从内部融化冰川，出现了裂缝和空洞，使其在积雪的重压下最终垮塌。

Tian warned that climate change is causing large-scale environmental damage.

田立德提醒气候变化正在造成大规模的环境破坏。

"There is an urgent need for more monitoring and research efforts, especially in populated areas in high mountains," he said.

他说“我们迫切需要加强监管和研究工作，尤其是高山地区人口密集的地方。”

Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that cracks have appeared on nearby glaciers, and local authorities worry that disaster may still be looming¹¹.

与此同时，新华社报道附近的冰川也出现了裂缝，当地政府担心灾害可能持续在逼近。

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 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

3 yaks   

牦牛( yak的名词复数 )； 笑话

参考例句：

• The jokes get yaks. 那笑话引人发笑。
• Social species including birds, fish and yaks must have companionship. 习惯群居的生物，包括鸟类、鱼类和（牛毛）牛必须有伙伴。

4 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

5 avalanches   

n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。 来自辞典例句
• Avalanches poured down on the tracks and rails were spread. 雪崩压满了轨道，铁轨被弄得四分五裂。 来自辞典例句

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

8 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）

9 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

10 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

11 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望