ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Antarctic Ice Breaks Off

ENVIRONMENT REPORT -April 5, 2002: Antarctic¹ Ice Breaks Off

By Cynthia Kirk
This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

A huge piece of ice the size of a small country has broken off Antarctica. The event has created thousands of
floating icebergs² in the Weddell Sea. American and British scientists say it is the largest piece of ice that has
broken off in thirty years.

Scientists say the ice broke off from the Larsen B Shelf area in a thirty-five day period that began January thirty-
first. This area of ice was on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula³. The peninsula is the Antarctic area that is
closest to southern Argentina and Chile. It is surrounded on three sides by seas that keep temperatures more
moderate⁴.

Larsen B is one of many ice shelves on Antarctica. The shelves are huge pieces of
ice that float in the water. They are floating extensions⁵ of the ice sheets covering the
Antarctic continent. The ice shelves block the ice sheets from moving off the land
into the water.

The part of Larsen B that broke off was two-hundred
meters thick and covered about two-thousand square
kilometers. Scientists say the ice shelf probably has
existed since before the end of the last major ice age
twelve thousand years ago.

Scientists say the break up of the Larsen B shelf will

not raise sea levels because the ice was already floating
in the water. Sea levels would rise only if the land ice behind it now began to flow
more quickly into the sea.

Scientists say warming temperatures during the Antarctic summers probably caused the ice to break.
Temperatures have risen two-point-five degrees Celsius⁶ in the Antarctic Peninsula during the past fifty years.
That is much faster than climate warming worldwide or even in other parts of Antarctica.

Some studies have suggested other areas of Antarctica might be cooling. A recent study reported that the ice in
West Antarctica is thickening, not melting.

The Larsen Ice Shelf has been under careful observation since Nineteen-Ninety-Five. That is when a piece of ice
in the northern part of the ice shelf, known as Larsen A, broke off in a similar event. Scientists say the southern
part of the ice shelf, Larsen C, could also break apart if the warming continues in Antarctica.

Some scientists say the separation of the ice shelves is linked to the climate warming caused by human activity.
But, other scientists say the break was probably caused by a natural warming event.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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Satellite images: January
31 ...
(Photos - NASA)
... and March 7

1 Antarctic   

adj.南极(区)的；n.(the A-)南极洲，南极圈

参考例句：

• The Antarctic is a mountainous area.南极洲是一个多山的地区。
• It is well known that penguins live in the Antarctic.企鹅生活在南极洲是众所周知的。

2 icebergs   

n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

3 peninsula   

n.半岛

参考例句：

• Dalian is in the south of the Liaodong Peninsula.大连位于辽东半岛南部。
• Korean peninsula lies to the west of Japan.朝鲜半岛在日本以西。

4 moderate   

adj.适度的，稳健的，温和的，中等的；v.节制，使...稳定，使...缓和；n.稳健的人

参考例句：

• You should moderate your language when children are present.在孩子面前，你说话应该有节制。
• The wind is moderate today.今天的风很柔和。

5 extensions   

n.延长( extension的名词复数 )；延伸；[逻辑学] 外延；扩展名

参考例句：

• There are telephone extensions in every room. 每个房间都有电话分机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What are extensions and where do I download them? 什么是extensions扩展？哪里可以下载扩展？ 来自互联网

6 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。

7 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？