英语杂谈：56 Deepest Ocean Eruption

Researchers witnessed a spectacular fiery（炽热的） underwater volcano explosion and captured it on video. It's believed to be the deepest ocean volcano eruption¹ ever recorded. The undersea Pacific Ocean explosions in May of this year were recorded using a remote operating vehicle. Under the tone of the vehicle motors, recorded by a hydrophone(水中听音器), you can hear the muffled(被压抑的) sounds of the explosions, still audible（能听到的） under 4, 000 feet of ocean water.

An expedition team, which included researchers from the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric² Administration, was conducting observations in an area of the Pacific bounded by the island nations of Samoa（萨摩亚群岛）, Tonga（汤加） and Fiji（斐济）. The eruption was southeast of Samoa.

One of the lead scientists called it "an underwater Fourth of July". Images show large molten（熔化的） lava³(熔岩) bubbles about 3 feet across, glowing red vents⁴ ejecting lava into the sea and lava flows across the seafloor.

This West Mata volcano stands more than a mile high off the ocean floor. Its eruptive area is about the length of a football field. It is producing Boninite lavas⁵, believed to be among the hottest erupting on earth in modern times.

Researchers believe they have a unique chance to study magma(岩浆) formation and how the earth recycles material where tectonic plates （地壳）slide against each other.

A microbiologist on the team found diverse microbes in the extreme conditions, and they observed a small species of shrimp⁶ thriving. It's believed to be the same shrimp species found at eruptive sites more than 3, 000 miles away.

Mission scientists believe 80% of eruptive activity on earth occurs in the ocean and most volcanoes are in the deep sea. But until this discovery, NOAA and the National Science Foundation had sponsored submarine volcano research for 25 years without observing a deep-ocean eruption like this one, which is now recorded for all of us to see.
 

1 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

2 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

3 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

4 vents   

（气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩

参考例句：

• He always vents his anger on the dog. 他总是拿狗出气。
• The Dandelion Patch is the least developed of the four active vents. “蒲公英区”在这四个活裂口中是发育最差的一个。

5 lavas   

n.（火山喷发的）熔岩( lava的名词复数 )；（熔岩冷凝后的）火山岩

参考例句：

• The lake was ponded by lavas a long time ago. 这条湖是很久以前熔岩堵塞河道形成的。 来自辞典例句
• Such lavas also once came from the volcanoes in the Cascade Range in Washington. 在华盛顿州的喀斯喀特山脉的火山也喷出过这样的熔岩。 来自辞典例句

6 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。