摘要：
英国科学家的一项最新研究结果显示，全球变暖迹象在南极洲表现得最为明显，南极洲的变暖迹象要比世界其它地区明显3倍。
Signs of global warming are three times more apparent in Antarctica than across the rest of the planet, a new study shows.

英国科学家的一项最新研究结果显示，全球变暖迹象在南极洲表现得最为明显，南极洲的变暖迹象要比世界其它地区明显3倍。

据美国《生活科学》3月30日报道，对从气象气球上收集到的1971年至2003年间的温度、湿度以及风的有关数据进行分析后，科学家们发现冬季升温现象贯穿于南极洲的大气层中。

科学家们估计，在最近的30年中，南极洲上方大气层的冬季温度已经上升了大约2.7华氏度（1.5摄氏度）。而这种变化在很大程度上是由于温室气体的排放。

英国南极考察组的约翰·特纳对此表示："温室气体对南极洲的影响可能要比对世界其它地区的影响更大一些。然而，为什么如此，我们还不得而知。"

报道说，其它一些研究只把重点放在了南极洲地表温度的变化上，而且这些研究得出了各式各样的结果。其中一项研究发现，气温明显上升只发生在南极洲的西侧，而其它地方则没有出现这种变化。还有一项研究甚至提出，南极洲的部分地区在最近几十年温度一直呈变冷的趋势；而世界其它地区的气温则一直在上升。

与此前的这些研究不同，英国科学家这一最新研究的重点是远离地球表面的温度变化情况，因此这一研究涵盖的地区也就更加广阔。

通过对从9个气象站30年来几乎连续收集到的数据进行分析，研究人员得出结论，南极洲的气温的确在上升。特纳对此警告说，这一气温的上升可能会以某些现在的模型预测不到的方式来影响到南极洲的降雪和海平面变化。

报道说，这项研究的具体结果发表在最新一期的美国《科学》杂志上。

（国际在线独家资讯 王高山）

Signs of global warming are three times more apparent in Antarctica than across the rest of the planet, a new study shows.

Using newly digitized temperature, humidity, and wind data collected from instruments aboard weather balloons between 1971 and 2003, scientists found a winter season warming throughout the Antarctic atmosphere.

The scientists estimate that atmospheric temperatures over Antarctica in the winter have risen by about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 Celsius) in the last 30 years, and the change is due in large part to greenhouse gas emissions.

"Greenhouses gases could be having a bigger impact in Antarctica than across the rest of the world and we don't understand why," said John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey.

Other studies of the region focused only on surface temperature variations and produced mixed results. One study found significantwarming only on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula but not elsewhere in the southernmost continent.

Another previous study even suggested that parts of Antarctica were cooling in recent decades while the rest of the globe was warming.

Unlike these other studies, the current one looks at temperature variations away from the Earth's surfaceand also covers a wider area.

Analyzing nearly continuous data collected from nine weather stations over the past 30 years, the researchers concluded that Antarctica's air is indeed heating up.

Turner warns that the warming could affect Antarctica's snowfall and sea level in ways not predicted by current models.

"Current climate model simulations don't reproduce the observed warming, pointing to weaknesses in their ability to represent the Antarctic climate system," he said. "Our next step is to try to improve the models."

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