时差N小时 如何准确预测火山爆发时间和地点?(上)

It’s time again for the A Moment of Science mailbag. A listener writes:

又到科学一刻之读者来信的时刻了。一位听众写道：

Dear A Moment of Science,

亲爱的科学一刻，

I’ve always been fascinated by volcanoes. So I was wondering: How well can scientists predict when and where a volcano will erupt?

我一直对火山十分着迷。因此，我很好奇：科学家们如何准确地预测火山喷发的时间和地点呢？

Intersting question.

这是一个有趣的问题。

There are a few well known warning signs, such as earthquakes in the vicinity of a known volcano.

其实一些火山喷发的前兆我们已经知晓，如火山附近地带会发生地震。

And, of course, smoke rising from a volcano.

当然，火山口冒烟也是火山喷发的信号。

But a study out of the UK could give scientists an even better idea of how to predict eruptions¹.

不过，英国一项研究成果能帮助科学家们更准确地预测火山喷发。

The researchers were looking at volcanoes along the mid² ocean ridge³ a long chain of volcanoes lined up along where two of the Earth’s tectonic plates pull apart.

研究人员观察了大洋中脊的一条位于两大地球构造板块断裂处的火山链。

Specifically, the researchers looked at the magma chambers⁴ beneath the volcanoes to see how they channel magma up to the surface.

具体来说，研究人员观察火山地下的岩浆库，想要知道这些岩浆是如何被输送到地表的。

1 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

2 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

3 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

4 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网