地球的力量 第3集 冰川(20)修整我們的星球

Since humans evolved, it's ice, through glaciers, icesheets and floods,

隨著人類的進(jìn)化，正是冰層，通過冰河，冰原和洪水方式

that has been the dominant force shaping ourplanet.

強(qiáng)行修整我們的星球

But the greatest influence of ice relies on far morethan brute force.

然而冰層最大的影響力莫過于其殘忍的威力

That's because ice hassome unusual properties that have a profound effect on the Earth's climate.

因?yàn)楸鶎佑行┓欠驳牡谰?它們深深的影響著地球的氣候

I am on the west coast of Greenland in what's known as Iceberg Alley.

我正處在格陵蘭島西海岸著名的冰山巷中

This is the biggest iceberg factory in the world.

這里是世界上最大的冰山制造工廠

I've never been up this close to icebergs before.

我從未如此的接近冰山

I know they're chunks of glacier

這些是巨大的冰塊

that fall off the front of the ice sheet and they float here,

它們從前面的冰原掉落然后飄到這里

but when you get this close,

然后當(dāng)你靠近它們

they're like majestic beautiful ships flowing silently by.

它們就像是莊嚴(yán)美麗的船只靜靜的從你身邊使過

This is known as an iceberg nursery.

而這里就是冰山托兒所

Most substances are denser when solid than when liquid

多數(shù)物質(zhì)在固體狀態(tài)下比液體狀態(tài)下密度大

which means they sink. Ice is an exception.

這就意味著會(huì)下沉，可是冰塊恰恰反向

Because it expands when it freezes, it becomes less dense and so it floats.

因?yàn)楫?dāng)冰塊凍結(jié)的時(shí)候體積變大，密度變小，因此能夠漂浮

It's also dazzlingiy bright, which makes it highly reflective,

這也令冰塊能夠高度反光，看起來明亮耀眼

and this combination has a dramatic effect on the Earth's climate.

這種化合物會(huì)對地球氣候產(chǎn)生重要影響