南極有很多“綠色的雪”，你可以從太空中看到

南極有很多“綠色的雪”，你可以從太空中看到

Welcome to the green, green acres of Antarctica.

歡迎來到綠色的南極洲。

Yes, you read that right. Climate change is dressing up parts of the South Pole in emerald hues, as scientists note algae blooms so vast they can be seen from space.

是的，你沒看錯。氣候變化使南極部分地區(qū)呈現(xiàn)出翠綠色，科學家們注意到，那里綠藻茂盛，從太空中都能看到。

In a new research paper published this week in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey suggest the blooms are spreading thanks to an increasingly temperate climate.

在本周發(fā)表在《自然通訊》雜志上的一篇新研究論文中，來自劍橋大學和英國南極調(diào)查局的科學家們認為，由于氣候越來越溫和，水華正在蔓延。

In an ecosystem known for its universal whiteness, the sp;lashes of green really stand out. (Photo: Matt Davey)

A small, but meaningful, slice of Antarctica

南極洲的一小塊，但很有意義

As researchers note in the study, only a minuscule amount — about 0.18 percent — of the continent is free of ice. Even the relatively lush Antarctic Peninsula has just 1.34 percent of its exposed ground covered in vegetation.

正如研究人員在研究中指出的，只有極少量——約0.18%——的南極大陸沒有冰。即使是相對茂盛的南極半島，也只有1.34%的裸露土地被植被覆蓋。

Specifically the so-called green snow is made up of microscopic algae as it blooms across the warmer regions of the peninsula. In all, the researchers spotted more than 1,600 distinct blooms, according to a University of Cambridge press release.

具體來說，所謂的“綠雪”是由微藻組成的，因為它在半島的溫暖地區(qū)大量繁殖。根據(jù)劍橋大學的一份新聞稿，研究人員總共發(fā)現(xiàn)了1600多個不同的花朵。

The Antarctic Peninsula is considered one of the 'greener' regions of the continent. (Photo: Matt Davey)

A growing green presence

越來越多的綠色出現(xiàn)

Antarctica may not ever be mistaken for the Emerald Isle, but it may get a lot greener in the coming years. A big reason for that is the increasingly temperate conditions. These microorganisms — lichen and moss, mostly — thrive in water. And water, thanks to ice-melting temperatures, is becoming increasingly available in the Antarctic.

南極洲也許永遠不會被誤認為是翡翠島，但在未來的幾年里，它可能會變得更加綠色。一個重要的原因是日益溫和的氣候條件。這些微生物——大部分是地衣和苔蘚——在水中大量繁殖。由于冰層融化的溫度，水在南極變得越來越容易獲得。

Indeed, green snow appears most prevalent where average temperatures hover above 32 degrees Fahrenheit during the region's summer months from November to February.

事實上，從11月到2月，該地區(qū)夏季月份的平均氣溫徘徊在華氏32度以上，綠雪是最常見的。

"As Antarctica warms, we predict the overall mass of snow algae will increase, as the spread to higher ground will significantly outweigh the loss of small island patches of algae," study co-author Andrew Gray tells CBS News.

“隨著南極洲變暖，我們預測雪藻的總體數(shù)量將會增加，因為向高地擴散的數(shù)量將大大超過小島上藻類的消失，”研究的合著者Andrew Gray告訴CBS新聞。

Marine life, researchers add, also play a role in how the green snow algae is distributed. Through their excrement, mammals and birds inadvertently produce a powerful fertilizer to speed algae along in its growth. Most of the blooms, for instance, were found with a few miles of a penguin colony, as well as the nesting sites of other birds and seals.

研究人員補充說，海洋生物也在綠藻的分布中發(fā)揮了作用。哺乳動物和鳥類的排泄物會在不經(jīng)意間產(chǎn)生一種強大的肥料，加速藻類的生長。例如，大多數(shù)花朵都是在離企鵝聚居地幾英里的地方發(fā)現(xiàn)的，其他鳥類和海豹也在那里筑巢。

When you factor in the appearance of red snow, which is caused by another type of algae, it adds up to a kaleidoscope of color in a place commonly known as the White Continent.

當你考慮到由另一種藻類引起的紅色雪的出現(xiàn)時，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)在一個通常被稱為白色大陸的地方，顏色千變?nèi)f化。

"The snow is multi-colored in places, with a palette of reds, oranges and greens — it's quite an amazing sight," Davey adds.

“雪的顏色是多種多樣的，有紅色、橙色和綠色——這是一個相當驚人的景象，”Davey補充道。