小型无人机可以提高天气预报准确性

AS IT IS 2016-04-01 New Drones Could Improve Weather Predictions 小型无人机可以提高天气预报准确性

Scientists are developing unmanned planes -- called drones -- that can gather weather information from the atmosphere.

The drones could help weather experts improve their predictions.

Meteorologists say their weather forecasts would be more accurate if they had information from many parts of the atmosphere. They already place satellites, drones and balloons at different altitudes. And they use radar¹ and gather information from devices on towers.

But that information only helps experts predict weather conditions for the next few days. It does not help predict changes in the next few hours. This is very important where sudden, violent storms happen.

So scientists at Oklahoma State University are developing new drones to gather information from more parts of the Earth’s atmosphere. This will help forecasters improve predictions about local weather conditions.

Jamey Jacob is an aerospace² engineer and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Oklahoma State University. He leads the university’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute.

He and other scientists at the university are developing small drones that do not cost a lot of money but can fly for hours, gathering³ information from many atmospheric⁴ levels. He spoke⁵ to VOA on Skype.

“Oklahoma is a really good, good example, because even though we're already a very weather-dynamic state, Oklahoma only has two balloon launches a day -- one at dawn and one at dusk -- from a single location in the state, and that's where all the weather forecasting information comes from. So that data is really sparse⁶, and it’s difficult for meteorologists that are developing these forecasting models to get a very good idea about how that weather is changing from these very limited number of data points.”

Phillip Chilson is a professor of meteorology at Oklahoma State University. He says the drone program should give researchers a low-cost way of understanding storms better, and improve computer-based forecasting.

The scientists have developed a round drone that can fly, hover⁷, roll on the ground and then take off again. These abilities are needed for a drone to fly in storms.

Professor Chilson says the drone can measure atmospheric conditions, send live video to forecasters, and help search for people hurt in storms. He spoke to VOA on Skype.

“Our real goal is to try to develop systems that really, I don't want to say replace but there may be that possibility of replacing weather balloons, but currently augmenting⁹ them -- so, increasing the capabilities¹⁰.”

Researchers say they still have a lot of work to do before the drones are ready. That includes making sure the drones know how to stay away from other planes. They say it could be two years until a drone can safely examine Earth’s lower atmosphere. 

Words in This Story

drone – n. a plane or other vehicle that flies and does not have a pilot in it

meteorologist – n. a scientist who studies the atmosphere and weather

forecast – n. a statement about what you think is going to happen in the future

accurate – adj. free from mistakes or error

altitude – n. the height of something (such as an airplane) above the level of the sea

dynamic – adj. always active or changing

dawn – n. the time of day when sunlight first begins to appear

dusk – n. the time when day changes into night and the sky begins to get darker

sparse – adj. present only in small amounts; less than necessary or normal

data point – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze¹¹ or plan something (usage note: data is plural¹² in form but is used with both plural and singular verbs)

hover – v. to float in the air without moving in any direction

scope – n. the area that is included in or dealt with by something

capability¹³ – n. the ability to do something

augment⁸ – v. to add something to (something) in order to improve or complete it

1 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

2 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 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。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 sparse   

adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的

参考例句：

• The teacher's house is in the suburb where the houses are sparse.老师的家在郊区，那里稀稀拉拉有几处房子。
• The sparse vegetation will only feed a small population of animals.稀疏的植物只够喂养少量的动物。

7 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

8 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

9 augmenting   

使扩张

参考例句：

• My business was now constantly augmenting, and my circumstances growing daily easier. 现在，我的业务不断扩大，我的境况日益安逸。
• I spent a penitential weekend augmenting the green acceptable. 我临时唯有利用周末在每顶绿帽子上加一点红色上去，以免男性来宾不肯戴上。

10 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

11 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。

12 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

13 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。