Hunt for Antarctica's 'missing meteorites' 英国科学家将赴南极寻找“失踪的陨石”

Play audio file 文字稿 首个远征南极寻找铁陨石的英国科学考察组已获得开展探险的许可。收藏在世界各地的太空陨石大多是在南极大陆上捡到的。覆盖该地区的白色冰层使搜寻这些黑色残留物的任务变得格外有成效。但是含铁的陨石却很少在南极大陆上被发现，其中有何奥妙吗？请听 Jonathan Amos 的报道。

It's a mystery that's long puzzled scientists. Why are so few iron meteorites picked up off the ice of Antarctica? They must fall evenly across the earth, but desert regions, for example, yield ten times as many lumps of space metal.

Now Manchester University mathematicians think they have the answer. Their studies indicate these iron-rich rocks have a trick to hide away from collectors. Because the rocks are made of metal, they are able to conduct the heat of the sun very efficiently to their undersides. This melts the surrounding ice, enabling them to sink downwards and out of sight.

The Manchester team has just won funding to go test its idea and plans to find the missing meteorites and dig them up with the aid of landmine detection technology.

词汇表 iron meteorites 陨铁，铁陨石

picked up 被捡起，被拿走

desert regions 沙漠地区

yield 给出、带来

【Hunt for Antarctica's 'missing meteorites' 英国科学家将赴南极寻找“失踪的陨石”】相关文章：

★ 球员抑郁和焦虑

★ Japan PM Abe sends ritual offering to Yasukuni shrine for war dead

★ Mash-up 混搭

★ Heathrow expansion and dog lifeguard training 希思罗机场扩建, 救生犬的训练

★ Do we need to attend lectures? 大学生是否需要听讲座式课程？

★ 大学生活的小测验

★ 新年：圣诞大餐

★ Cat got your tongue? 不吭声，无言以对

★ Driverless cars 无人驾驶汽车

★ Giraffes' decline; female bullfighter 长颈鹿数量骤减，西班牙女斗牛士