By piecing together the evidence these creatures left behind, we can build a picture of this sub-tropical corner of the continent as it was 13,000 years ago. While most of North America was still in the grip of the Big Freeze, Florida was an ice age oasis. Florida is aptly named the Sunshine State. With an average of eight hours of sun a day, it seems a world away from any ice age. Even 13,000 years ago, the massive ice sheets were hundreds of miles away to the north. So what was it like back then?
将这些动物遗留的痕迹拼凑到一起,我们可以探索到13,000年前这个位于亚热带大陆角落的区域的面貌。北美洲的大半部分都属于“大冻结”区域,而弗罗里达却是冰河时代的绿洲。称佛罗里达为阳光州再适合不过了。日照日均长达8小时,这似乎与冰河时代格格不入。即使在13,000年前,大面积的冰原距离它也有上百英里。那么它当时又是什么样子呢?
To investigate Florida's ice age past, one of the best places to look is under ground and up the water. Just below the surface lies a very strange world. Millions of years of water action has dissolved the limestone rock, forming a system of flooded caves and tunnels. This vast underground network runs for thousands of miles. Much of Florida is basically a big rock honeycomb. In places the water is forced to the surface, forming springs. Florida has one of the largest concentrations of springs in the world. Filtered through sand and rock, the water is crystal-clear. And welling up from deep within the earth, it is a constant 22 degrees centigrade.
想要了解弗罗里达冰河时代的过去,最好的去处之一便是“地下”和“水上”之间的空间。在地表下面便存在着一个奇异的世界。数百万年的水流运动溶解了石灰岩,形成了积水溶洞和隧道。这一片地下网络延绵数千英里。弗罗里达的大部分地区基本上就是像蜂巢一样的岩石区域。部分区域的地下水被挤到地表,形成了喷泉。弗罗里达是世界上喷泉最密集的区域之一。从沙土和岩石中流淌的泉水晶莹剔透。这些泉水地底喷出,恒温达22摄氏度。
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