So far no one has been able to prove
到目前为止,没人能够证明
if the melt water actually does reach the bedrock and lubricate the ice sheet,
是否融化的冰水确实到达了岩床并润滑了冰原
or if it simply flows through the ice, never reaching the bottom at all.
又或者只是简单的流过冰层,根本没有到达底部
Now Konnie and his team hope to solve this mystery.
现在,科尼和他的团队希望解开迷题
They're using a camera built by NASA
他们使用的是美国航天局制造的摄象机
designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
能够抵、抗极低的温度
It could finally answer the question of whether the increased amount of water
这将最终解释大量的冰水是否
is actually speeding up the flow of ice.
加速了冰层的漂移
If it is, then he will have made a direct connection
如果是,我们将可以得到
between climate change and the disappearing glacier.
气候变化和冰河消失的直接联系
This is the first time it's gone down a natural moulin?
这是我第一次下到自然形成的冰川锅穴
This is the first, and maybe the last.
第一次也许也是最后一次
They've got nearly 1,300 feet of cable,
绳索已经放出一千三百英尺长
which Konnie believes is long enough
科尼相信绳索已经放得够长了
to lower the camera all the way to the bedrock.
摄像机到了能拍摄到底部的所有通道的位置
Sixty metres.This is amazing.-Seventy metres. -Seventy metres.
六十米 太惊人了 七十米-七十米
Finally, nearly 330 feet down, we've reached melt water.
最终,在90米深的地方,我们发现了融化水
Now it's a lot, yeah.
好的,水流很大
It's a good sign that the camera's on the right track.
这是个好信号,摄像机正处于预想的路线上
But if this water does reach the very bottom of the ice,
但是水流是否到达了冰层的底部呢
there's still a long way to go.
要解决这个问题还有很长的路要走