最新数据显示，地球上的冰正在以创纪录的速度流失

最新数据显示，地球上的冰正在以创纪录的速度流失

Over the last three decades, the rate of global ice loss has been increasing exponentially. In 1994, the planet was losing 800 billion tonnes every year. By 2017, the rate was 1,300 billion tonnes – a 63 percent increase in just 23 years.

在过去的三十年里，全球冰的流失速度呈指数增长。1994年，地球每年损失8000亿吨。到2017年，这一数字达到了1.3万亿吨，仅在23年内就增长了63%。

These findings, reported in the journal The Cryosphere, suggest that the total loss of ice over the survey period was about 28 trillion tonnes. To picture that, it's the equivalent of a block of ice 100 meters thick (330 feet) the size of the UK, or Michigan. The steep rise in ice loss comes mainly from Greenland and Antarctica.

这些发表在《冰冻圈》杂志上的发现表明，在调查期间，冰的总流失量约为28万亿吨。想象一下，它相当于一块100米(330英尺)厚的冰，有英国或密歇根那么大。冰川流失急剧增加主要来自格陵兰岛和南极洲。

“Although every region we studied lost ice, losses from the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have accelerated the most,” lead author Dr Thomas Slater from the University of Leeds said in a statement.

来自利兹大学的首席作者托马斯·斯莱特博士在一份声明中表示:“尽管我们研究的每个地区都有冰川消失，但南极和格陵兰冰盖的融化速度最快。”

Dr Alfredo Carpineti

“The ice sheets are now following the worst-case climate warming scenarios set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Sea-level rise on this scale will have very serious impacts on coastal communities this century.”

“现在的冰原正在遵循政府间气候变化专门委员会(IPCC)提出的最坏的气候变暖设想。海平面上升到这种程度，本世纪将对沿海社区产生非常严重的影响。”

The data collected suggests that half of all losses were from ice on land. This includes a staggering 6.1 trillion tonnes lost from mountain glaciers, 3.8 trillion tonnes from the Greenland ice sheet, and 2.5 trillion tonnes from the Antarctic ice sheet. The polar regions have also experienced dramatic sea ice loss.

收集到的数据表明，一半的损失来自陆地上的冰。这其中包括令人震惊的6.1万亿公吨高山冰川，3.8万亿公吨格陵兰冰原，2.5万亿公吨南极冰原。极地地区也经历了巨大的海冰融化。

The biggest losses seen in the survey were from Arctic sea ice, which saw losses of 7.6 trillion tonnes in the 23-year period, and Antarctic ice shelves estimated to have lost 6.5 trillion tonnes. This major reduction has grave consequences for the entire planet and the threat of sea-level rise.

在调查中，损失最大的是北极海冰，在23年的时间里损失了7.6万亿吨，南极冰架估计损失了6.5万亿吨。这一重大减少对整个地球和海平面上升的威胁造成了严重后果。

“Sea ice loss doesn't contribute directly to sea level rise but it does have an indirect influence. One of the key roles of Arctic sea ice is to reflect solar radiation back into space which helps keep the Arctic cool,” co-author Dr Isobel Lawrence added.

“海冰减少不会直接导致海平面上升，但它确实有间接影响。北极海冰的一个关键作用是将太阳辐射反射回太空，帮助北极保持凉爽，”合著者伊泽贝尔·劳伦斯博士补充道。

“As the sea ice shrinks, more solar energy is being absorbed by the oceans and atmosphere, causing the Arctic to warm faster than anywhere else on the planet. Not only is this speeding up sea ice melt, it's also exacerbating the melting of glaciers and ice sheets which causes sea levels to rise.”

“随着海冰的缩小，更多的太阳能被海洋和大气吸收，导致北极比地球上任何地方都变暖得更快。这不仅加速了海冰融化，还加剧了冰川和冰原的融化，导致海平面上升。”

The ice melt over the last few decades led to an increase of 35 millimeters of sea-level rise. This might seem like a small amount but for every centimeter of increase, there are a million people at risk of losing their houses. An increase in sea level also makes storm surges more likely to occur.

过去几十年的冰川融化导致海平面上升了35毫米。这似乎是一个很小的数字，但是每增加一厘米，就有一百万人面临失去他们的房子的风险。海平面上升也使风暴潮更容易发生。

It's not just coastal communities at risk. Glaciers provide freshwater to communities globally. Ice loss will also put these communities at risk.

不仅仅是沿海社区面临风险。冰川为全球社区提供淡水。冰的流失也将使这些社区处于危险之中。