使用无人机追踪风暴 对抗极端天气

AS IT IS 2016-05-22 Storm-Chasing Drones Help Fight Extreme Weather 使用无人机追踪风暴 对抗极端天气

Some countries are using drone technology to prepare for major weather events and observe severe storms as they happen.

One place where drones are used to follow the weather is the Philippines, where natural disasters kill many people every year.

In the past 10 years, earthquakes, powerful storms and floods have claimed thousands of lives across the large Philippine archipelago.

On average, about 20 typhoons hit the country each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the islands, leaving 6,300 dead and four million others without homes or food.

The Philippines has begun using drones to survey farmland to help identify storm risks and prepare for weather disasters.

The country’s Agriculture Department is using drones equipped with high-tech¹ sensors³ to map and take pictures of large areas. The department’s director of field operations, Christopher Morales, says the unmanned aircraft can fly over and study an area of up to 600 hectares a day.

“Before, we were just concentrating on reports of our local program and counterparts. Usually it might be overestimated⁴ or underestimated. By the use of drones, we have a scientific tool to analyze⁵ this data and provide appropriate interventions⁶.”

The information collected by drones can help farmers decide what steps to take to prepare for storms.

Morales said the drones are very efficient and can even be used right before big storms hit.

“In the future, and if the investments of the government will come in, we will use these in the typhoon-prone areas also. So that a day or two before the typhoon (has made) landfall in the Philippines, we can approximate or do an estimation of pre-disaster assessment⁷ so we can plan ahead and respond accordingly.”

Currently, the Philippines is experiencing one of the driest periods on record, in part because of strong El Nino weather conditions. So the government is now working with private companies to develop a prototype drone for cloud seeding.

Morales noted⁸ that using drone aircraft for this purpose can save lives. Two years ago, one worker died during a cloud-seeding operation.

The government plans to deploy⁹ full agricultural drone teams across the Philippines in the near future.

Words in This Story

drone – n. an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control

typhoon – n. an extremely large, powerful and destructive storm

archipelago – n. a group of islands

survey – v. to look carefully and completely at something

sensor² – n. a device that detects or senses heat, light, motion, etc.

efficient – adj. producing desired results without wasting materials, time or energy

prototype – n. a first test model of something that is then developed and copied

cloud seeding – n. when various substances are put into clouds in an attempt to cause rain

concentrate – v. to focus one’s attention or mental effort on a particular object or activity

counterpart – n. Something having the same function or characteristics as another

analyze – v. to study something closely or carefully

assessment – n. the act of making a judgment¹⁰ about something?

1 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

2 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

3 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

4 overestimated   

对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They overestimated his ability when they promoted him. 他们提拔他的时候高估了他的能力。
• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。

5 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

6 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

10 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。