What's happening to Earth's core? - Shannon Odell

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

A hydrogen atom travels high within the outermost layer

有一個氫原子

在地球大氣層的最外層的高處移動。

of the Earth’s atmosphere.

This particular atom first entered the exosphere millions of years ago,

這個原子在數百萬年前 首先進入到外氣層，

and during its tenure on Earth,

它在地球的這段期間， 待過大西洋的海浪、

it’s spent time in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean,

the ground soil of the Amazon,

亞馬遜的地面土壤，

and even the steam rising off a boiling pot of spaghetti.

甚至煮沸的義大利麵冒出的水蒸氣。

But today, traveling 30 times faster than the speed of sound,

但今天，

它用比光速快三十倍的速度行進，

it overcomes the Earth’s gravitational pull and escapes,

克服了地球的引力束縛而脫離了，

joining the roughly 90 tons of material that leak out of our atmosphere each day.

加入每天從我們的大氣層

漏出的約九十公噸物質。

This daily whale-sized atmospheric loss is just one example

每天這種重量如同 一隻鯨魚的大氣損失

只是地球在不斷洩漏的一個例子。

of how the Earth is leaking.

Atoms, energy, and molecules seep from one layer of the planet to another.

原子、能量，和分子

從地球的一層滲漏到另一層。

And for Earth, whose stability is necessary to sustain life,

而地球的穩定度對於 維持生命是非常必要的，

these leaks can seem troubling.

因此這些洩漏似乎會造成問題。

To better understand the extent of the planet’s imperfect plumbing,

為了更清楚了解地球這個 不完美的管道系統範圍有多廣，

and when it becomes a problem,

以及它何時會變成問題，

let’s visit two more leakage sites.

咱們再來多造訪兩個洩漏的地點。

Our second spot takes us to the Earth’s surface,

我們要去的第二個地點 在地球的表面，

to a field in Central Appalachia.

阿帕拉契中部的一塊田野。

Below, a 1,500 meter deep shaft connects an oil reservoir

在底下，一條一千五百公尺深的井道

把油藏和地球表面連起來。

with the Earth’s surface.

The oil supply here is dried up, leaving the site neglected and abandoned.

這裡的油供應已經枯竭，

因此這個地點已經廢棄無人照管，

But this underground reservoir also houses the potent greenhouse gas methane,

但這地底的儲存庫

也存有強效溫室氣體——甲烷，

which continues to travel up the shaft and escape through cracks and loose pipes.

甲烷不斷沿著井道上升， 從裂縫和鬆散的管道逸出。

This leaky well joins the more than 3 million abandoned wells

美國各地還有超過三百萬口廢井

都和這口漏井類似，

scattered throughout the US,

that collectively emit, by lower estimates,

用較低的估計值，它們總共會排放

280,000 metric tons of methane each year.

每年二十八萬公噸的甲烷。

Our final leakage point takes us deep within the innermost boundary

我們要去的最後一個洩漏點 位在地球最內部的邊界：

of the Earth, the core.

地核。

Heat, originating from the formation of our solar system,

我們的太陽系形成時所產生的熱

drives the rotation of liquid metal around the solid inner core.

讓液態金屬繞著固體內核旋轉。

The motion, in turn, creates the planet’s magnetic field,

這運動則形成了地球的磁場，

a barrier that protects it from cosmic radiation and solar wind.

也是保護地球不受宇宙輻射 和太陽風影響的屏障。

But the core isn't perfectly insulated, so heat constantly leaks,

但地核並非完全隔絕的，

所以經常會有熱外洩，

escaping to the surrounding mantle

脫離地核進入到周圍的地函，

and driving plate tectonics and magmatic activity.

促成板塊構造運動和岩漿活動。

As a result, the core’s outer molten metal is slowly solidifying.

因此，地核外部的 熔化金屬正在緩慢地固化，

Once fully cooled, the magnetic field will disappear,

一旦完全冷卻了，磁場就會消失，

leaving us exposed to the Sun’s harshest rays.

讓我們暴露在最嚴酷的太陽射線下。

The Earth clearly has some cracks and bleeds.

很顯然地球有些裂縫且在流血。

Should we be worried?

我們應該要擔心嗎？

Thankfully, the immediate risks of our hydrogen leak are low.

謝天謝地，氫外洩 對我們的立即風險還很低。

At its current rate, it would take over 150 billion years

以目前的速度，要花上 至少一千五百億年

to lose all our hydrogen to space.

我們的氫才會全部洩漏到宇宙中。

The same goes for our core leak.

地核心外洩也是一樣。

Scientists estimate the core won't completely cool

科學家估計，地核還不會完全冷卻，

for another 700 million to several billion years.

還能再撐七億年到數十億年。

Methane emissions, however,

然而，甲烷排放

have the power to alter our Earth's climate within the next decade.

是有可能在接下來的十年間 改變地球的氣候。

The gas’s unique structure efficiently absorbs energy radiating off the Earth,

甲烷的獨特結構讓它能有效 吸收地球散發出去的能量，

trapping it in the atmosphere as heat.

將這些能量以熱的形式困在大氣中。

This gives methane incredible warming potential,

這讓甲烷非常有可能造成暖化，

86 times that of carbon dioxide.

可能性是二氧化碳的八十六倍。

The impact of methane escaping from abandoned wells in the US

甲烷從美國廢井洩漏出來的影響

is comparable to burning 10 billion pounds of coal each year.

比得上每年燃燒一百億磅的煤。

As abandoned wells in most of the world’s top oil producers

全世界大部分石油製造 巨頭旗下的廢井

have yet to be extensively counted or surveyed,

尚未被廣泛納入計算或調查，

the global emissions of all abandoned wells is likely much, much higher.

因此全球所有廢井的排放 可能還要更高許多。

And they join the estimated 570 million tons of methane

除了它們，每年估計 還有其他其他人類

emitted by other anthropological and natural sources each year.

及自然來源會排放 五億七千萬公噸的甲烷。

Beyond their climate impact,

除了對氣候產生影響，

these unsealed wells can leach methane and other toxic gases

這些沒有封閉的井有可能

會將甲烷和其他有毒氣體 洩漏到鄰近的地下水中，

into nearby groundwater,

contaminating drinking water and impacting local ecosystems.

汙染飲用水，

影響當地的生態系統。

Luckily, non-producing oil wells can be plugged by pumping cement

幸運的是，有辦法 把不再產油的井給封住，

把水泥打入油井的深處即可。

into their depths.

While many state and federal governments require oil and gas companies

雖然許多州和聯邦政府 都要求石油及天然氣公司

to plug defunct wells,

將廢棄的井給封住，

plugging comes at a high expense,

封井的花費卻很高。

so companies have historically dodged policies.

所以在過去這些公司都會閃避政策。

For decades, these leaky, low-producing, and economically non-viable wells

數十年來，這些會外洩、 低生產、無經濟價值的井

were sold off and abandoned.

被廉價出售並廢棄。

It's clear that oil and gas companies won't fix this problem on their own.

很顯然石油及天然氣公司本身 不會去處理這個問題。

It'll take concerted governmental efforts,

需要各政府協調，一致努力，

such as placing high fees on methane emission

比如針對甲烷排放設定昂貴的費用，

and coordinated oversight on plugging,

並協調如何監督封井，

to make sure companies are held accountable.

確保公司會擔起責任。

But the problem starts before these wells are abandoned.

但問題始於這些井被廢棄之前。

Within the US, active oil and gas production

在美國，

還在運作中的石油及天然氣生產

emits massive amounts of methane,

會排放大量的甲烷，

about 28 times that of abandoned wells.

是廢棄井的約二十八倍。

The best way to eliminate this leak is to stop drilling oil and gas wells

要消除這種洩漏最好的方式，

就是回到源頭，不要再 鑽石油及天然氣井了。

in the first place.