Tianshan No.1 glacier shrinks fast

时间：2007-07-30 00:34:38

（单词翻译:单击）

Chinanews, Lanzhou, July 28 – The Tianshan No.1 glacier1, the source of the Urumqi River, is shrinking at the speed of 3.5 m and 5.9 m every year on its east and west sides respectively. In the past 45 years, its coverage2 has dropped from 1.94 sq km to 1.68 sq km, a 13.8% loss.

 

In fact, the shrinking of the glacier is accelerating. Tianshan No.1 is located at a height of 3,454 m above sea level, and about 118 km from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous3 Region. It is considered as one of the most important dryland glacier models in Asia, and one of the most famous ten glaciers4 in the world.

 

The glacier started shrinking in the 1950s. In 1993, the original Tianshan No.1 split into two. Besides, its thickness had also decreased by 12 m. That is to say, the total volume of Tianshan No.1 has dropped by 20 million cubic meters.

 

The melting of glaciers will not only cause natural disasters like flood and landslide5, but will also lead to drought in the longrun, as rivers might lose their source.

 
分享到：


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 glacier YeQzw     
n.冰川，冰河
参考例句：
  • The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
  • The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。
2 coverage nvwz7v     
n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖
参考例句：
  • There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
  • This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。
3 autonomous DPyyv     
adj.自治的；独立的
参考例句：
  • They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
  • This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。
4 glaciers e815ddf266946d55974cdc5579cbd89b     
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）
5 landslide XxyyG     
n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利
参考例句：
  • Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
  • An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

©2005-2010英文阅读网