Increasing amounts of ice have been melting on the continent of Antarctica over the past ten years.
过去十年来，南极洲大陆的冰融化量不断增加。
Now, scientists are wondering if the increase in melting is temporary or if it will continue—and perhaps melt even faster—for years into the future.
现在，科学家们想知道融化的增加是否是暂时的，或者它是否会在未来几年内持续下去——甚至融化得更快。
Nearly 1,500 experts who study Antarctica gathered in southern Chile last week to share results of their research.
近1500名研究南极洲的专家上周聚集在智利南部，分享他们的研究结果。
They discussed the extreme weather events that struck parts of the continent this year:
他们讨论了今年袭击非洲大陆部分地区的极端天气事件：
heavy rainfall, unusually warm temperatures, and strong dry winds.
强降雨、异常温暖的气温和强风。
The researchers say these events added to recent increases in melting.
研究人员表示，这些事件加剧了最近的融化。
However, detailed weather data for Antarctica dates back only about 40 years.
然而，南极洲的详细天气数据仅可追溯到大约40年前。
That is one reason climate scientists are unsure if the current melting is temporary or the beginning of a longer trend.
这也是气候科学家不确定目前的融化是暂时的还是更长趋势的开始的原因之一。
NASA estimates show a possible 58-meter rise in the average worldwide sea level if all Antarctic ice melted.
美国宇航局估计，如果所有南极冰融化，全球平均海平面可能会上升58米。
Studies have shown that about a third of the world's population lives below 100 vertical meters of sea level.
研究表明，世界上大约三分之一的人口生活在海平面垂直100米以下。
Liz Keller is a paleoclimate specialist from the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.
莉兹·凯勒是新西兰惠灵顿维多利亚大学的古气候专家。
She says scientists have never before seen Antarctic ice melting so quickly.
她说，科学家们以前从未见过南极冰融化得如此之快。
She also spoke about the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide gas, CO2, in the earth's atmosphere.
她还谈到了地球大气中二氧化碳气体（CO2）含量的增加。
"You might see the same rise in CO2 over thousands of years, and now it's happened in 100 years," Keller said.
凯勒说：“几千年来，你可能会看到同样的二氧化碳增加，而现在这种情况在100年内就发生了。”
Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere.
二氧化碳在大气中捕获热量。
Mike Weber is a paleooceanographer from the University of Bonn in Germany.
迈克·韦伯是德国波恩大学的古海洋学家。
He studies the movements of Antarctic ice over thousands of years.
他研究了南极冰数千年来的运动。
He said records dating back 21,000 years show at least eight times when the ice melted quickly.
他说，可追溯到21000年前的记录显示，冰层至少有八次迅速融化。
He added that the data show the periods of ice loss sometimes lasted for hundreds of years.
他补充说，数据显示，冰流失的时期有时会持续数百年。
This led to much higher sea levels around the world.
这导致世界各地的海平面大幅上升。
Weber said scientists want to know if the melting seen during the last ten years has started a melting trend that will last for centuries.
韦伯说，科学家们想知道过去十年中看到的融化是否已经开始了将持续几个世纪的融化趋势。
"Maybe we're entering such a phase right now," he said.
“也许我们现在正在进入这样一个阶段，”他说。
"If we are, at least for now, there will be no stopping it."
“如果是这样，至少目前是这样，就没有什么可以阻止它了。”
Some of the scientists in Chile agreed that the most harmful rise in sea level can still be avoided if fossil fuel emissions decrease.
智利的一些科学家一致认为，如果化石燃料排放量减少，仍然可以避免最有害的海平面上升。
Weber noted that when glaciers melt, the earth's land can rise because there is less weight pushing it down.
韦伯指出，当冰川融化时，地球的陆地会上升，因为推动它下降的重量较小。
Recent research suggests that if the melting does not happen too quickly, the rising land could nearly equal the rise in sea level.
最近的研究表明，如果融化不发生得太快，陆地上升可能几乎等于海平面的上升。
But if the melting happens too quickly, the rise in land could not meet the increase in sea level.
但如果融化发生得太快，陆地的上升就无法满足海平面的上升。
"If we keep emissions low, we can stop this eventually," said Weber.
韦伯说：“如果我们保持低排放，我们最终就可以阻止这种情况。”
"If we keep them high, we have a runaway situation and we cannot do anything."
“如果我们把它们保持在高位，我们就会陷入失控的境地，我们就无能为力。”
Mathieu Casado is a paleoclimate and polar meteorologist at France's Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory.
马蒂厄·卡萨多是法国气候与环境科学实验室的古气候和极地气象学家。
He has examined ice from all over Antarctica to estimate temperatures dating back 800,000 years.
他检查了南极洲各地的冰，以估计80万年前的气温。
Casado said that the last time the Earth was this warm was 125,000 years ago and that sea levels then were 6 to 9 meters higher.
卡萨多说，地球上一次如此温暖是在12.5万年前，当时海平面高出6至9米。
He and other scientists said the speed and amount at which carbon is entering the atmosphere has never been so high.
他和其他科学家表示，碳进入大气层的速度和数量从未如此之高。
Gino Casassa is a glaciologist and head of the Chilean Antarctic Institute.
吉诺·卡萨萨是冰川学家，也是智利南极研究所所长。
He said that current estimates show sea levels rising by 4 meters by 2100 and more if emissions continue to grow.
他说，目前的估计显示，如果排放量继续增加，到2100年海平面将上升4米甚至更多。
"What happens in Antarctica doesn't stay in Antarctica," said Casassa,
卡萨萨说：“南极洲发生的事情不会留在南极洲。”
adding that global atmospheric, ocean and weather systems are linked to the continent.
他补充说，全球大气、海洋和天气系统与非洲大陆有关。
I'm Andrew Smith.
安德鲁·史密斯为您播报。
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