My glacier cave discoveries - Eddy Cartaya

我的發現：冰之洞穴 - 艾迪卡特亞 (Eddy Cartaya)

譯者: Elanor Chang 審譯者: Chingwen Kao

So how many of you

在你們之中，

have ever been in a cave before?

有誰曾經去過洞穴呢?

Okay, a few of you.

嗯，有一些人去過。

When you think of a cave,

談及洞穴，

most of you think of a tunnel

大部分的人想到的是

going through solid rock.

一個穿過實心岩層的通道。

In fact, that's how most caves are.

事實上，大部分的洞穴都是那樣的。

Around this half of the country,

在這個國家

most of your caves are made of limestone.

絕大部分的洞穴都是石灰岩層；

Back where I'm from,

most of our caves are made from lava rock

而在我的家鄉

大部分的洞穴則是穿過火山岩的，

because we have a lot of volcanoes out there.

因為在那裏有很多火山。

But the caves I want to share with you today

但是今天我要和你們分享的洞穴

are made completely of ice,

是由冰塊構成的，

specifically glacier ice

尤其是位於

as formed in the side of the tallest mountain

奧勒岡州最高的山脈Mount Hood

in the state of Oregon

的冰河地區

called Mount Hood.

所形成的冰穴。

Now, Mount Hood's only one hour's drive

波特蘭是奧勒岡州最大的城市，

from Portland,

有兩百多萬人居住在那裏。

the largest city in Oregon

而從波特蘭開車到Mount Hood

where over two million people live.

只需要一個小時。

Now, the most exciting thing

對一個洞穴探勘者來說，

for a cave explorer

最令人興奮的事情就是

is to find a new cave

發現一個新的洞穴，

and be the first human to ever go into it.

並且成為第一個進去的人類。

The second most exciting thing

而對洞穴探勘者來說，

for a cave explorer

第二令人興奮的事情則是

is to be the first one to make a map of a cave.

成為第一個為洞穴製作地圖的人。

Now, these days,

現在啊

with so many people hiking around,

有好多人四處健行

it's pretty hard to find a new cave,

所以很難再發現新的洞穴

so you can imagine how excited

所以你可以想像

we were to find three new caves

當我們在奧勒岡州最大的城市附近

within sight of Oregon's largest city

找到三個洞穴，

and realize that they have never been explored

並且發現沒有人 曾進去探勘或繪製地圖時，

or mapped before.

我們有多麼的興奮了!

It was kind of like being an astronaut

這有點像是太空人在做的事，

because we were getting to see things

因為我們就是要去

and go places

看各種人所未見的東西，

that no one had ever seen or gone before.

去各種人所未至的地方。

So, what is a glacier?

嗯，所以甚麼是冰川呢?

Well, those of you that have ever seen

如果你曾經

or touched snow,

看過或者摸過雪，

you know that it's really light

你就知道雪花非常的輕

because it's just a bunch of tiny ice crystals

因為它就只是一些微小的冰晶

clumped together

聚在一起

and it's mostly air.

而且其中絕大部分都是空氣。

If you squish a handful of snow

如果你把一坨雪聚在一起

to make a snowball,

揉成一個雪球，

it gets really small, hard, and dense.

它就會變得又小又硬，而且很扎實。

Well, in a mountain like Hood

在一座像是Mount Hood的山裡

where it snows over twenty feet a year,

每年都會有超過6公尺深的積雪，

it crushes the air out of it

在積雪時，空氣會被擠出來，

and gradually forms it into hard, blue ice.

然後漸漸形成一個硬梆梆的藍色冰塊。

Now, each year more and more ice

逐年累積下來，

stacks up on top of it

積雪越堆越高，

and eventually gets so heavy

最後實在太重了，

that it starts to slide down the mountain

他自己本身的重量

under its own weight,

會使它開始滑下山，

forming a slow-moving river of ice.

構成一個緩慢移動的冰流。

When an ice pack like that starts to move,

當像這樣的一堆冰塊開始移動時，

we call it a glacier

我們就稱它為冰川，

and we give it a name.

並且幫它命名。

The name of the glacier these caves were formed

我們發現冰穴的冰川

is the Sandy Glacier.

就叫山迪冰川。

Now, each year as new snow lands on the glacier,

每年有新的雪飄落在冰川上，

it melts in the summer sun,

然後在夏天融化，

and it forms little rivers of water

變成沿著冰流動的

on the flow along the ice

涓涓細流。

and they start to melt

在它們開始融化，

and bore their way down through the glacier,

然後一點一滴的鑿穿這些冰川

forming big networks of caves,

建構出一個大的冰穴網時，

sometimes going all the way down

有時候也會鑿到冰的底部

to the underlying bedrock.

到達下方的岩層。

Now, the crazy thing about glacier caves

關於這些冰穴最瘋狂的事情就是

is that each year new tunnels form,

當每年新的通道被鑿出來時，

different waterfalls pop up

就會有不同的瀑布出現，

or move around from place to place

或者這些瀑布會在這些山洞裡

inside the cave.

移來移去。

Warm water from the top of the ice

從冰的頂端而來的溫暖的水

is boring its way down,

會往下鑿；

and warm air from below the mountain

而在山腳下的溫暖的空氣

actually rises up,

則會上升，

gets into the cave,

進入這些冰穴，

and melts the ceilings back taller and taller.

然後使冰穴的頂部 一點一點的融化。

But the weirdest thing about glacier caves

但最奇怪的事情是

is that the entire cave is moving

這整個冰穴網會移動，

because it's formed inside a block of ice

因為它形成於一冰塊之內，

the size of a small city

這冰塊大如一座小城市，

that's slowly sliding down the mountain.

正在慢慢的滑下山。

Now, this is Brent McGregor,

這個人是Brent McGregor，

my cave exploration partner.

他是我進行時洞穴探勘的夥伴。

He and I have both been exploring caves a long time

我們都曾經花很長的時間探索過洞穴，

and we've been climbing mountains a long time,

也都曾經花很長的時間爬山，

but neither of us have ever really explored

但是，我們兩個之前都不曾

a glacier cave before.

真的探索過冰穴。

Back in 2011, Brent saw a YouTube video

2011年的時候，Brent在You Tube看到一段影片，

of a couple of hikers

影片裡一些登山客

that stumbled across the entrance

蹣跚地穿越

to one of these caves.

其中一個冰穴的入口。

There were no GPS coordinates for it,

當時並沒有GPS定位這個入口在哪，

and all we knew was that it was somewhere

我們所知的僅有

out on the Sandy Glacier.

它就在山迪冰川的某處。

So, in July of that year,

在那年的七月

we went out on the glacier,

我們便去了山迪冰川，

and we found a big crack in the ice.

然後在冰塊中發現了一個大大的裂口。

We had to build snow and ice anchors,

我們得建造一些冰錨，

so we could tie off ropes

才能把繩子綁好

and repel down into the hole.

然後進到這個洞穴。

This is me looking into the entrance crevasse.

這是我往冰縫入口處看時的樣子。

At the end of this hole,

在這個洞穴的底部，

we found a huge tunnel

我們發現一個巨大的通道

going right up the mountain

直直的進入這座山，

underneath thousands of tons of glacier ice.

在數千噸重的冰川之下。

We followed this cave back

我們沿著這個洞穴走了

for about a half mile until it came to an end.

差不多800公尺，直到它的盡頭。

And then with the help of our survey tools,

然後在調查工具的幫助下，

we made a three-dimensional map of the cave

在回程時，我們為這個洞穴

on our way back out.

製作了一個3D的地圖。

So, how do you map a cave?

到底是要怎麼為洞穴繪製地圖呢?

Well, cave maps aren't like trail maps or road maps

洞穴的地圖不像 山徑的地圖或者道路的地圖，

because they have pits and holes

因為在洞穴裡有許多坑洞

going to overlapping levels.

重重疊疊的。

To make a cave map,

要製作一個洞穴的地圖，

you have to set up survey stations

得在洞穴裡每隔幾十公分

every few feet inside the cave,

就設置一個調查站，

and you use a laser to measure the distance

然後使用雷射光測量

between those stations.

兩個調查站間的距離。

And you use a compass and an inclinometer

然後還要用到指南針和側斜儀

to measure the direction the cave is headed

來測量這個洞穴延伸的方向

and measure the slope of the floor and the ceilings.

還有洞穴上下傾斜的角度。

Now, those of you taking trigonometry,

在這時候，你們之中有學過

that particular type of math

三角函數的人

is very useful for making maps like this

就派上用場了!

because it allows you to measure

因為我們可以藉著三角函數

heights and distances

計算高度和距離，

without actually having to go there.

而不需要親身到那裏測量。

In fact, the more I mapped and studied caves,

事實上，當我測量和研究越來越多洞穴時，

the more useful I found all that math

我便愈發覺得數學真的很實用，

that I originally hated in school to be.

雖然我以前上學時超討厭它的。

So, when you're done surveying,

當完成調查後，

you take all this data,

就帶著這些數據，

you punch it into the computer,

輸到電腦裡，

and you find someone

再找些

that can draw really well,

真的很會畫畫的人，

and you have them draft up a map

再叫他們擬出個地圖

that looks something like this.

長的會像這樣。

And it will show you both

它會呈現出

a bird's eye view of the passage

洞穴的鳥瞰圖

as well as a profile view of the passage,

及剖面圖，

kind of like an ant farm view.

有點像是蟻穴。

We named this cave Snow Dragon Cave

我們把它命名為雪龍洞穴，

because it was like a big dragon

因為它真的很像一隻巨大的龍

sleeping under the snow.

沉睡在雪下。

Now, later this summer

之後，在那年夏天

as more snow melted off the glacier,

當越來越多雪融，化做水離開冰川，

we found more caves,

我們發現更多的冰穴，

and we realized they were all connected.

然後發現到它們穴穴相連。

Not long after we mapped Snow Dragon,

在我們繪製出雪龍洞穴的地圖不久之後，

Brent discovered this new cave

Brent發現了這個新的洞穴，

not very far away.

離雪龍洞穴並不遠。

The inside of it was coated with ice

它的內部有一層冰，

so we had to wear big spikes

所以我們得穿上釘鞋，

in our feet called crampons,

也就是冰爪，

so we could walk around without slipping.

我們才能好好走路而不至於滑倒。

This cave was amazing!

這個新洞穴超棒的!

The ice in the ceiling was glowing blue and green

頂端的冰塊閃耀著藍綠色的光芒，

because the sunlight from far above

這是因為太陽光從很遠的地方照射過來

was shining through the ice

穿過層層冰塊，

and lighting it all up.

使得一切都亮了起來。

Now, we couldn't understand why this cave

我們之前還想不透

was so much colder than Snow Dragon

為什麼這個洞穴比雪龍冰洞冷上許多，

until we got to the end,

直到我們走到它的盡頭

and we found out why.

才發現原因。

There was a huge pit or shaft called a moulin

那裏有個巨大的坑洞，我們稱為冰洞，

going a 130 feet straight up

它往上穿過了40公尺的冰層

to the surface of the glacier.

直達冰川的表面。

Cold air from the top of the mountain

冷空氣從山頂

was flowing down this hole,

進入這個冰洞，

blasting through the cave,

然後在這洞穴裡肆虐

freezing everything inside of it.

把裡面所有東西都結凍了。

And we were so excited about finding this new pit,

我們真的很興奮可以找到這個冰洞，

we actually came back in January the following year

事實上我們還在隔年一月回去這個洞穴

so we could be the first ones to explore it.

好成為第一個探索它的人。

It was so cold outside,

當時洞穴外面真的太冷了，

we actually had to sleep inside the cave.

實際上我們得睡在洞穴裡面。

Here's our camp on the left side

這就是我們的帳蓬，

of this entrance room.

它位在洞穴入口的左側。

The next morning we climbed out of the cave

隔天早上我們出了洞穴，

and hiked all the way

然後一路健行

to the top of the glacier

到冰川的最頂端。

where we finally rigged and repelled this pit

在那裏我們終於第一次

for the very first time.

垂降探索這個冰洞。

Brent named this cave Pure Imagination, I think,

Brent把這個洞穴取名為純想像

because the beautiful sights we saw in there

我猜是因為在那裏面的景色實在太壯麗了，

were beyond what we could have ever imagined.

遠遠超越我們所能想像的。

So, besides really cool ice,

嗯，除了那些超冰的冰塊，

what else is inside these caves?

這些洞穴裡還有些什麼呢?

Well, not too much lives in them

那裏並沒有太多生命跡象，

because they're so cold,

因為實在是太冷了。

and the entrance is actually covered up with snow

而且事實上一年中有八個月，

for about eight months of the year,

入口是被冰雪所覆蓋的。

but there are some really cool things in there.

但那裏也有一些真的很酷的東西。

There's weird bacteria living in the water

有一些怪異的細菌住在那裏，

that actually eat and digest rocks

這些細菌可以吃和消化岩石

to make their own food

作為牠們的食物來源

to live under this ice.

才能生存在這冰塊之下。

In fact, this past summer

事實上，這個夏天，

scientists collected samples of water and ice

科學家們收集了水和冰塊的樣本

specifically to see if things called extremophiles,

就為了看看一種叫做嗜極菌的

tiny lifeforms that have evolved

微小生命型態有沒有生存在這，

to live in a completely hostile conditions,

因為嗜極菌通常生存在極度嚴苛的環境。

might be living under the ice,

而這裡的環境

kind of like what they hope to find

類似他們希望未來 可能找到嗜極菌的地方--

in the polar ice caps of Mars some day.

火星的極地冰層。

Another really cool thing

另一件很酷的事情是

is that as seeds and birds land

當種子和鳥兒降落在

on the surface of the glacier and die,

冰川的表面然後死去，

they get buried in the snow

它們會被雪掩蓋，

and gradually become part of the glacier,

然後漸漸成為冰川的一部份，

sinking deeper and deeper into the ice.

往冰塊裡愈沉愈深。

As these caves form

而當這些洞穴形成

and melt their way up into the ice,

使它們四周的雪便會融化時，

they make these artifacts rain down from the ceiling

它們就會從洞穴的頂端

and fall into the cave floor

像下雨一樣的掉下來，

where we end up finding them.

掉到洞穴的地上，被我們發現。

For example, this is a nodal first seed we found.

舉例來說，這是個被我們發現的種子。

It's been frozen in ice for over a hundred years,

它已經被冰雪塵封超過一百年了，

and it's just now starting to sprout.

而它現在正開始發芽。

This mallard duck feather was found over 1800 feet

這個綠頭鴨的羽毛則是在雪龍洞穴後面

in the back of Snow Dragon Cave.

五百多公尺的地方發現的。

This duck died on the surface

很久很久以前，

of the glacier long, long ago,

這隻鴨子在冰川的表面死掉，

and its feathers have finally made it down

然後牠的羽毛就這麼慢慢下沉，

through over a hundred feet of ice

跨越超過30公尺的冰，

before falling inside the cave.

到達洞穴裡的頂部。

And this beautiful quartz crystal

而這個美麗的石英結晶

was also found in the back of Snow Dragon.

也是在雪龍洞穴後方找到的。

Even now Brent and I find it hard to believe

直到現在我跟Brent都還很難相信

that all these discoveries

這些發現都是

were essentially in our own backyard,

在離我們不遠的後花園找到的。

hidden away just waiting to be found.

它們就藏在那兒，等著被我們發現。

Like I said earlier,

就像我之前說過的，

the idea of discovery

在現在這個繁忙的世界裡，

in this busy world we live in

「發現」這件事情

kind of seems like something

好像已經變成是一種

you can only do with space travel now,

你只能在太空旅行才能經歷到的事情了。

but that's not true.

但這絕非真相!

Every year new caves get discovered

每年都有新的洞穴被發現，

that no one has ever been in before.

它們都是之前未曾有人探訪過的。

So, it's actually not too late

所以，讓你自己成為一個發現者

for one of you to become a discoverer yourself.

永遠不嫌太晚。

You just have to be willing to look

你只要願意去看、去探訪

and go where people don't often go

那些人們不常去的地方，

and focus your eyes and your mind

並且讓你的眼和你的心保持專注，

to recognize the discovery when you see it

這樣當某個新發現出現時，你可以馬上認出它來，

because it might be in your own backyard.

因為它可能離你並不遠。

Thank you very much.

謝謝你們的聆聽。