首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
"Rising Sea Levels" Perhaps the most pervasive climatic effect of global warming is rapid escalation of ice melt. Mount Kili
"Rising Sea Levels" Perhaps the most pervasive climatic effect of global warming is rapid escalation of ice melt. Mount Kili
admin
2012-01-14
55
问题
"Rising Sea Levels"
Perhaps the most pervasive climatic effect of global warming is rapid escalation of ice melt. Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, portions of the South American Andes, and the Himalayas will very likely lose most of their glacial ice within the next two decades, affecting local water resources. Glacial ice continues its retreat in Alaska. NASA scientists determined that Greenland’s ice sheet is thinning by about 1 m per year. The additional meltwater, especially from continental ice masses and glaciers, is adding to a rise in sea level worldwide. Satellite remote sensing is monitoring global sea level, sea ice, and continental ice. Worldwide measurements
confirm
that sea level rose during the last century.
Surrounding the margins of Antarctica, and constituting about 11% of its surface area, are numerous ice shelves, especially where sheltering inlets or bays exist. Covering many thousands of square kilometers, these ice shelves extend over the sea while still attached to continental ice. The loss of these ice shelves does not significantly raise sea level, for they already displace seawater. The concern is for the possible surge of grounded continental ice that the ice shelves hold back from the sea.
Although ice shelves constantly break up to produce icebergs, some large sections have recently broken free. In 1998 an iceberg (150 km by 35 km) broke off the Ronne Ice Shelf, southeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. In March 2000 an iceberg tagged B-15 broke off the Ross Ice Shelf (some 90° longitude west of the Antarctic Peninsula), measuring 300 km by 40 km. Since 1993, six ice shelves have disintegrated in Antarctica. About 8000 km of ice shelf are gone, changing maps, freeing up islands to circumnavigation, and creating thousands of icebergs. The Larsen Ice Shelf, along the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, has been retreating slowly for years. Larsen-A suddenly disintegrated in 1995. In only 35 days in early 2002, Larsen-B collapsed into icebergs. This ice loss is likely a result of the 2.5℃ temperature increase in the region in the last 50 years. In response to the increasing warmth, the Antarctic Peninsula is sporting new vegetation growth, previously not seen
there
.
→ A loss of polar ice mass, augmented by melting of alpine and mountain glaciers (which experienced more than a 30% decrease in overall ice mass during the last century) will affect sea-level rise. The IPCC assessment states that "between one-third to one-half of the existing mountain glacier mass could disappear over the next hundred years." Also, "there is
conclusive
evidence for a worldwide recession of mountain glaciers... This is among the clearest and best evidence for a change in energy balance at the Earth’s surface since the end of the 19th century."
A Sea-level rise must be expressed as a range of values that are under constant reassessment. B The 2001 IPCC forecast for global mean sea-level rise this century, given regional variations, is from 0.11-0.88 m. C The median value of 0.48 m is two to four times the rate of previous increase. These increases would continue beyond 2100 even if greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilized.D
→ The Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, has kept ocean temperature records since 1916. Significant temperature increases are being recorded to depths of more than 300 m as ocean temperature records are set. Even the warming of the ocean itself will contribute about 25% of sea-level rise, simply because of thermal expansion of the water. In addition, any change in ocean temperature has a profound effect on weather and, indirectly, on agriculture and soil moisture,
in fact the ocean system appears to have delayed some surface global warming during the past century through absorption of excess atmospheric heat.
→ A quick survey of world coastlines shows that even a moderate rise could bring changes of unparalleled proportions. At stake are the river deltas, lowland coastal farming valleys, and low-lying mainland areas, all contending with high water, high tides, and higher storm surges. Particularly tragic social and economic consequences will affect small island states—being able to adjust within their present country boundaries, disruption of biological systems, loss of biodiversity, reduction in water resources, among the impacts. There could be both internal and international migration of affected human populations, spread over decades, as people move away from coastal flooding from the sea-level rise.
The word confirm in the passage is closest in meaning to
选项
A、clarify
B、prove
C、assume
D、predict
答案
B
解析
In this passage, prove is a synonym for"confirm."
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/8CyO777K
0
托福(TOEFL)
相关试题推荐
Completethesummarybelow.ChooseNOMORETHANTWOWORDSfromthepassageforeachanswer.Writeyouranswersinboxes24-26on
Completeeachsentencewiththecorrectending,A-F,below.Writethecorrectletter,A-F,inboxes18-21onyouranswersheet.
Completethesummarybelow.ChooseONEWORDONLYfromthepassageforeachanswer.Writeyouranswersinboxes21-26onyourans
TheHistoryoftheGuitarTheword’guitar’wasbroughtintoEnglishasanadaptationoftheSpanishword’guitarra,’whichwas,
Matcheachstatementwiththecorrectorganisation,A-G.ListofOrganisationsAExplorationArchitectureBDESERTECCABBPower
TheInnovationofGroceryStoresA.Attheverybeginningofthe20thcentury,theAmericangrocerystoresofferedcomprehen
AccordingtoMrSingh,onwhichthingdomanypeoplemakesuperficialobservations?AccordingtoMrSingh,whatgreatadvantage
Howdidthestudentgettheuniversityprospectus?Whocanusethelanguagelab?
Howdidthestudentgettheuniversityprospectus?WhatistheA-levelrequirementforthecourse?
TheprofessoralreadyknowssomethingaboutClarefromher______.
随机试题
强夯法和强夯置换法在施工前,应在现场有代表性的场地进行试夯或试验性施工,以取得必要的()。
地方性法规与行政法规中对同一个违法行为都有规定的,行政执法人员应该按照__________作出行政处罚?
如果客户存在运动的风险因素,应该建议其进行医学检查,然后根据医生的建议确定其是否可以运动及可采取的运动方式。在此基础上,健身教练可根据客户的()、体遗能水半及()等为其制订健身运动计划。
下列符合慢性特发性血小板性紫癜临床表现的是
以下为我国《领事特权与豁免条例》有规定,而《维也纳领事关系公约》没有规定的内容有:
工程咨询单位资格包括()。
产权界定应遵循的原则是()。
2014年11月3日,人民法院受理了甲公司的破产申请。根据企业破产法律制度的规定,下列已经开始、尚未终结的与甲公司有关的民事诉讼中,应当中止的是()。
某单位工会为了深入了解职工的工作状态。关心职工的身心健康。举办了一次“快乐工作”主题座谈会。作为一名新参加工作者.请你模拟在座谈会上作一个简短的即席讲话。(2012年7月16日上午湖南省公务员面试真题)
EmployeesoftheTaffValeRailwayCompanyinSouthWalesgreasedthetracksandcuttelegraphwiresduringabitterstrikein1
最新回复
(
0
)