亚马逊雨林大火正在释放大量一氧化碳

The Amazon fires have finally started to garner the attention of the world. The wildfires and deforestation, mostly in Brazil, are an ecological, political, and societal disaster.

亚马逊大火终于开始引起世界关注了，主要出现在巴西境内的野火和森林砍伐是一场生态、政治和社会灾难。

The rainforest ecosystem provides oxygen, takes in carbon dioxide, supplies water vapor for the global weather-climate system, and hosts untapped medicinal benefits.

雨林生态系统释放氧气、吸收二氧化碳、为全球气候系统提供水汽，还有未开发的药用价值。

The loss of trees and the sun-blotting smoke are obvious consequences of these massive fires. However, there is another problem with these wildfires.

这些大火明显造成了树木的损失，产生了蔽日的浓烟，但野火还有另外一个问题。

They are emitting a lot of carbon monoxide. Here's why that is a problem.

大火释放大量一氧化碳，下面说明一下为什么这是个问题。

I suspect that most people have some familiarity with carbon monoxide because it can be harmful to humans.

我猜大多数人对一氧化碳比较熟悉，因为它对人体有害。

If exposed to it for even short period of time, carbon monoxide can quickly replace oxygen in the blood, which can cause serious or even fatal outcomes according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

据美国职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）称，如果暴露在一氧化碳中即使很短一段时间，一氧化碳会快速替换血液中的氧气，造成严重甚至致命的后果。

The gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless so it is particularly dangerous.

这种气体无臭、无色、无味，所以特别危险。

According to a NASA press release from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this week, the carbon monoxide signature of the Amazonian fires are clearly detectable by specialized Earth-monitoring satellites.

据NASA喷气推进实验室本周发布的资讯稿称，专门的地球监测卫星清楚地探测到亚马逊大火的一氧化碳特征。

The image above was captured by an instrument called the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard the Aqua satellite.

上图就是Aqua卫星上的大气红外探测器（AIRS）捕捉到的画面。

In the animation, it is clear that the plume of carbon monoxide starts in the region of burning fires and then drifts southeastward into Brazil and other parts of the continent.

动画中清晰显示二氧化碳羽流开始于大火燃烧地区，然后向东南漂移到巴西和南美洲其他地区。