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These crystals form when sea water trickling down from above
海水從上面留下來的時候
met hot waters coming up from below,
遇到了下方的熱水形成了這些水晶
and it was in this mineral-rich mixing zone
就是在這個富含礦物質的混合地帶
that these fingers of gypsum grew.
長出了這些像手指的硫酸鈣
And they would have stayed there submerged
如果地中海的海平面不下降
if the level of the Mediterranean Sea hadn't dropped,
露出了這片地質精華
revealing this geological gem.
它們將永遠被埋藏在地下
Sadly, I can't stay inside the geode for too long
可惜我不能在這個晶洞里呆的時間太長
as the moisture from my body will soon start to dissolve the gypsum.
因為我身體的濕度會很快融化這些碳酸鈣
It's astonishing enough to think that the Mediterranean evaporated once,
認為地中海曾經蒸發過這個想法已經夠令人震驚的了
but, in fact, this sea has come and gone many times in the last few million years.
但實際上這片海在過去的數億年里 曾消失出現過很多次
And that has had some surprising effects,
這導致了很多奇異的影響
not just on the geology of this area,
不僅是影響這片海洋的地質
but also on the evolution of some of the animals that lived here.
同時還導致了居住在這里的生物的進化
During one drop in sea level, elephants roamed over the old seabed.
海平面下降后大象會在原來的海床上閑逛
But when water levels rose once more,
但是水平面一旦上漲
they were forced to take refuge on higher ground,
它們就必須到高地上避難
on land that was to become the island of Sicily.
這片高低就成為了西西里島
