海水吸收了大部分额外热量,这让气候变化不那么立刻,却绝不代表后果更轻
Climate change is frequently narrated through air temperature because air is what people feel most directly. Heatwaves, mild winters, and broken monthly records provide immediate drama. Yet the deeper accounting happens in the sea. Oceans absorb most of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, which means they preserve a more durable record of planetary imbalance.
气候变化通常以气温来叙述,因为空气是人们感受最直接的部分。热浪、温和的冬季以及打破月度纪录的现象提供了即时的戏剧性。然而,更深层的核算发生在海洋中。海洋吸收了大部分由温室气体捕获的多余热量,这意味着它们保存了关于行星失衡更为持久的记录。
That storage function can create a dangerous misunderstanding. Because the ocean takes in so much energy, it appears to soften the blow on land, at least temporarily. But stored heat is not neutralized heat. It alters currents, expands water, raises sea level, intensifies stress on marine ecosystems, and changes the background conditions from which storms develop.
这种储存功能可能引发危险的误解。由于海洋吸收了如此多的能量,它似乎在短期内缓和了对陆地的冲击。但被储存的热量并非被中和的热量。它会改变洋流、使海水膨胀、推高海平面、加剧海洋生态系统的压力,并改变风暴形成的背景条件。
Inspired by TIME reporting · Rewritten by Vocabsavvy · Vocabsavvy Original (inspired-by attribution)