The graph below the figures illustrates how the length of the melt season varies significantly from year to year, but the long-term trend is clear.

下面图表的数据显示融冰期天数的年际变化很大，但是融冰期逐渐增长[念:chang]的趋势显而易见。

Even a small change in the start of the melt season exposes the ocean to more incoming sunlight, which warms the water, which melts more ice, and so on.

即使在融冰期开始时只有一个微小的变化，都可能使海洋吸收更多的阳光，用来加热（更多的）海水，融化更多的冰等等；