时差N小时:北冰洋的淡水湖忧患(下)

　　Most marine organisms are adapted to the ocean’ssalt concentration. Just as humans cannot drinksaltwater, plankton and other small marine creaturesfloating with the currents cannot survive in freshwater. These organisms form the base of the arcticfood chain. If they die, the small fish that feed onthem die. Larger fish and mammals that feed on thesmall fish also lose their food source. Even themighty polar bear would be at risk of starvation.The freshwater lake could have an even largerimpact on Earth’s climate if it emptied into theNorth Atlantic quickly. Ocean currents that move heat around the globe are sensitive tosaltwater concentrations. Because fresh water floats on top of saltier water, a large influx offresh water could slow the currents and alter temperature and weather patterns. At thepresent time, the arctic lake’s size is equivalent to the amount of fresh water the Atlanticreceives in a year. It isn’t a threat to global climate now, but it’s an important lake forscientists to watch.

　　大多数海洋生物都适应了海洋的盐分浓度。正如人类不能喝盐水，浮游生物和其他小型海洋生物，漂浮的电流不能在淡水中生存。这些生物体形成的北极食物链的基础。如果他们死了，小的鱼，养活他们的死亡。较大的鱼类和哺乳动物，饲料的小鱼也失去了他们的食物来源。威猛的北极熊甚至会饿死的危险。如果北大西洋迅速清空，淡水湖泊，可能对地球气候的影响更大。洋流移动世界各地的热敏感，盐水的浓度。因为浮顶水咸淡水，淡水的大量涌入可能会放慢电流和改变温度和天气模式。目前，北极地区湖泊的大小相当于大西洋的淡水量在一年中接收。它不是现在全球气候变化的威胁，但它是一个重要的湖泊，科学家观看。