VOA常速英语2007年-Scientists Unveil High-Definition Map of Antarc

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
29 November 2007
 

A team of U.S. and British researchers have unveiled a new map of Antarctica that they say will revolutionize research on the frozen continent and contribute to a deeper understanding of climate change. VOA's Leta Hong Fincher has more.

The Landsat Image Mosaic¹ of Antarctica, or LIMA, pieces together 1,100 images to provide a new map 10 times more detailed² than any made before.

This true-color map of the full continent took eight years to compile from satellite pictures and is now freely available to the public over the Internet.

Robert Bindschadler is a chief scientist at the U.S. space agency NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He says, "For the vast majority of people, the way I would describe LIMA is, this is how Antarctica really looks and you can have any piece of it you want."

Bindschadler told a news conference Tuesday that the new satellite images provide a time-lapse historical record of how Antarctica has changed. The map will enable scientists to continue to watch changes unfold, such as the movement of glaciers³.

Bindschadler says researchers can use the map to better plan scientific expeditions, geologists⁴ can better trace rock formations and biologists can obtain snapshots of the levels of lakes in Antarctica's desert ecosystems⁵. "It [the map] has changed my view of Antarctica and it has influenced the science questions that I ask myself, so yes, it will revolutionize Antarctic science," he said.

Collaborators on the mapping project include the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey.

British researchers say the new images will be key to understanding climate change because Antarctica has experienced a temperature rise of almost three degrees in the last 50 years --- almost 10 times the global average. They add that more than 80 percent of glaciers on the continent are now in a state of retreat, ice shelves are breaking up, and snow is melting at a faster rate.

Nicholas Owens is director of the British Antarctic Survey. Owens says, "If society and our political leaders are to make informed decisions about how to cope with climate change, they need the most up-to-date evidence that they can possibly get, and I have absolutely no doubt that the LIMA project will contribute to that evidence."

The Landsat 7 satellite is expected to continue taking images of Antarctica and other parts of the world through 2011.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

3 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

4 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

5 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句