The Temperature of Antarctica Has Increased Again 南极气温又创新高

In February 2020， climate experts stationed at an Argentine research base in a northern part of Antarctica have just logged the highest temperature on record for the usually frozen continent.

According to preliminary data from the UNs World Meteorological Organization， temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula just hit 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit， that is 18.3 degrees Celsius. That figure tops the previous record of 17.5 degrees Celsius set in March 2015.

While such temperatures might be considered pleasant under different circumstances—such as a picnic or hiking trip—but this is Antarctica were talking about， home to the most inhospitable environments on the planet.

Rising temperatures are alarming there because Antarctica， for one thing， contains the vast majority of Earths freshwater ice， along with Greenland. Moreover， according to the WMO， temperatures in this particular area have warmed 3 degrees Celsius over the last 50 years， and 87% of the glaciers nearby have retreated during that period.

Whats worse is， the retreat is accelerating. And when glaciers melt， bad things happen： Ice flowing from Antarcticas Thwaites Glacier， for example， is thought to be a major contributor to sea-level rise.

南极洲北部阿根廷研究基地驻扎的气候专家在2020年2月记录了这个经常冰封的大陆有记录以来的最高温度。

联合国世界气象组织的初步数据显示，南极半岛的温度达到了64.9华氏度，也就是18.3摄氏度。这一数据超过了2015年3月份17.5摄氏度的高温纪录。

虽然在其他情况下这个温度还是很舒适的，比如野餐或徒步，但我们说的是南极呀，那里的环境是地球上最不适宜居住的。

那里不断上升的气温令人担忧。首先，因为南极和格陵兰有着地球上绝大多数的淡水冰。而且世界气象组织称，这个特定区域的气温在过去50年里上升了3摄氏度，附近87%的冰川都缩小了。

更糟糕的是，冰川还在继续缩小。冰川融化的后果很严重，比如大家都认为从南极思韦茨冰川流出的冰是海平面上升的主要原因。

Word Study

circumstance /'s??rk?mst?ns/ n. 條件;环境;境况

inhospitable /'?nhɑ?'sp?t?bl/ adj. 不适于居住的;荒凉的

retreat /r?'tri?t/ v. 退却;撤退;离开

accelerate /?k'sel?re?t/ v. 加速;加快

Exposure to the sun accelerates the ageing process.